The Twelve Year Split
by littlewaterlily
Summary: Lily Evans has just received a letter in the mail that she is to be accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. James Potter has just found the love of his life. For the next twelve years, an outsider looks in to watch their lives as they, and
1. The Letter

It was 9 am on a gorgeous summer day, when Lily Evans awoke with a start. She had been dreaming somewhat peacefully until she heard a cornucopia of huge screams downstairs. She threw the covers off of her bed, and sprinted downstairs to see what was the matter. Arriving on the staircase to the den, she found her sister, Petunia, staring at the window from behind the couch. Lily looked to her mother, in awe that other than Petunia, everything seemed so normal. Her mother was making pancakes and bacon while her father sat in the lounge chair and read the morning paper.

"What happened?" She called from the staircase.

"There was some attack on our window! Mother, what the hell was that?" Her sister, Petunia, yelled in a muffled whisper.

"You are so paranoid, Petunia! Lily, go look through the window and see what that was. Maybe it was that Jones' boy throwing rocks with notes at you again." Petunia snickered while Lily attempted to hide her frustration behind her long, silky, flame-red hair as she walked over to the window with great ease, showing off her courage to her family. When she got to the other side of the room, she opened the window of their small home, and looked outside. There wasn't anything there. There weren't any rocks anywhere.

"Hmm. Oh well!" She thought as she strutted to the counter. "There's nothing there," She told her mother and Petunia. Her father, reading intently, just like Lily did very often, was completely oblivious to the entire matter. Just then, her father leapt up, pointing at the window in shock. He gasped and said, "Err, honey? Why is there a tawny _owl_ at our window? I thought they were nocturnal!" Lily had forgotten to close the window back, and there was now a small owl flying an envelope over to the counter where Lily sat next to Petunia, waiting on breakfast. Her mother took a step backwards, while Petunia screeched and sprinted out of the room as fast as she could. Lily sat in awe at the beautiful bird staring back at her. They stared at each other for about 15 seconds, and then the owl did something very, very strange indeed. It stuck out its leg! On its leg was a letter with no stamp. It was addressed to

Lily Marie Evans

The Kitchen/Den

Number 4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Lily took the letter, dumbstruck, and the owl hooted away and out the window. Mr. Evans had stood through this entire thing, mouth agape, just watching the owl. Mrs. Evans just watched her young daughter take the letter and the owl hoot away. Lily took the letter into her hands, and looked at the address, and the seal in the back. The letter was closed with a very large "H," with a snake, lion, badger, and bird circling it. She opened the letter and on her face, a very wide grin appeared. She let out a quick scream, and re-read the letter. Her mother and father rushed over, to see what all of the fuss was about. "Mom! Dad! This is incredible! No wonder all of those strange things happened to me! I'm a witch!" Lily yelled.

Her parents were very confused and took the letter from their glowing daughter. They read and re-read the letter before they started hugging and kissing their daughter. They couldn't be prouder parents.

"Oh, Lily! This is so wonderful! I can't believe this is happening! Well I guess we should get your school stuff! I wonder where…?" Mrs. Evans trailed off as her husband, gleaming, took the letter from his smiling wife. "Honey, it says right here! All of the instructions on what to do and how to get to…nine and three quarters? This must be a mistake! There's no such thing as platform nine and three quarters!"

Lily took the letter back from her parents, a bit confused. "Now that can't be right. Oh, no, Dad, look here, it says to just run straight at the barrier between platforms 9 and 10."

"WHAT?" Her parents yelled. "Honey, you'll hit a solid wall! These people are mad!" Her mother told her in a very confused state.

At that precise moment, Petunia walked in, carefully, asking, "Is it all safe now? Is that bloody bird gone?" Her timid figure hid almost completely behind the staircase. "Mother? Father? Hello?"

"Oh, sorry, honey. Yes the bird is gone. You'll never guess what just happened! Your sister has been accepted to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry!" Her parents hugged and kissed a beaming Lily.

"Isn't this great, honey! All of those things happened for a reason, she's a wizard!"

"_WITCH_, Dad!" Lily said confidently.

Suddenly a loud shriek came from a tiny frame's mouth. Petunia had suddenly started laughing so hard that she was crying! Lily, in a very confused manner, looked to her sister, and asked, "Uh, Sis? Are you okay?"

Petunia was still choking on her words and breathe as she replied, "You've got to be kidding me! Her, a _witch_? There's no such thing as a witch or wizard! Are you all mad?"

Lily and her parents looked at her in a very questioning manner. They looked to each other, to Petunia, and shook their heads. Petunia looked back at them, ready for them all to tell her, "Really, really, REALLY late April Fools!" But nothing came. She stumbled on her words, trying to take it all in.

"W-wait. You-you're not…kidding? Okay, so you're all nuts."

Lily didn't want to raise Petunia's temper, so she just sat, smiling away, at her breakfast. Somehow, though, her pancakes were now in the shape of what looked like a lion…with…wings?

"Mom? Did you do this?"

Mrs. Evans looked at the pancakes and gasped. "No, honey, I didn't! This proves it! You must really be a witch! Oh, Lily, I'm so proud of you!"

Both Mr. and Mrs. Evans hugged and kissed their daughter again and again. Petunia, watching all of this in complete anger, hissed at her parents.

"Oh, please. It's not that great. As a matter of fact, this is the worst thing that could happen to you, Lil! You're a freak! Stay away from me!"

She stormed out of the room, in complete hysterics, leaving Lily in tears. Her father comforted her, while her mother ran upstairs to comfort Petunia. Lily knew from that day on that the relationship between her sister and herself would never be the same again.


	2. Diagon Alley

Lily and her mother decided to go to get her school supplies the weekend after she received her letter. Lily was so excited, and getting more and more excited as she looked at all of the shops. The ice cream shop looked simply delicious, and the pet shop looked great too. She was getting so excited that she was running through the streets, when she bumped into someone. He was a tall boy, who looked as if he were a year older than her.

He smiled, said, "Excuse me," and walked off, only slowing down to look back at the young redhead staring back with her mouth open at him. He chuckled a little to himself before he kept on walking.

"He's a catch, that Amos Diggory, did you hear him talk to her? She's so lucky!"

Lily heard these three girls talking excitedly and jealously about the boy that Lily had run into. She smiled to herself and walked into the wand shop with her mother. After Lily and Mrs. Evans had completed their shopping from the list in the letter, they sat at a place called the "Leaky Cauldron" and started to order. Having no idea what any of the drinks were, the server gave them two butterbeers.

They sipped in sheer happiness as a group of 4 boys entered the room. They walked to a booth a couple of tables away from the counter, laughing and talking. Lily and her mother watched as a group of girls followed them to a table close by, and giggled through their hands. Obviously, these girls fancied the boys, and the boys were enjoying every minute of it. They winked back, laughing and talking, and ordering bottles of butterbeer for the girls. They giggled some more, making Lily want to hurl. She and her mother rushed out, laughing and holding their sides at the sight of these 11 year old boys, and went home. As they were rushing out, Lily thought she saw one of the boys catch a glimpse of her and smile as she rushed out, but she wasn't sure…

James Potter walked into the Leaky Cauldron, laughing and talking with his three best friends, Sirius Black, a handsome boy of his exact height, Remus Lupin, a scrawny, but very handsome boy with a pale face, and Peter Pettigrew, the slightly chubby boy who seemed to be following the other three. James and Sirius had been best friends forever, and always loved chasing after women together. They watched the girls follow them in to a table near them from their booth as they ordered butterbeers for themselves. They ordered some for the girls as well, and laughed and winked at them. The girls loved this and James and Sirius were having fun as well. Remus rolled his eyes and laughed along, while Peter laughed in a very shy manner. He was a peppy fellow, only to do what James, Sirius, and Remus were doing. James heard two people laughing and saw a flash of red sweep out the door as the light shined into the diner.

"Yo, James, you okay, mate?" Sirius asked as he winked to a girl. James had been staring off for a minute, leaving a poor girl all to herself.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Just thought I saw…never mind." He smiled to himself, and went back to his friends and women.


	3. Platform 9 34

Back at the house of Evans, a young girl awoke after a great night's sleep. It was 7 am. Young Lily awoke and got dressed before heading downstairs. Her train left at 11, and it took about 15 minutes to get there. Lily knew that this was going to be an amazing day, and she was so excited to get to school and learn all that she could. She had always been a very bright girl, from her intellect to her shining red hair. Lily moved from sitting on her bed, to the chair in the den, to the couch, to making a huge breakfast for her parents. At about 9:15 am, Lily screamed her 11-year old lungs out to the top of the stairs for her family to wake up and eat.

"Lily, dear, I know you're excited, but it's 9:15. We have 2 hours before your train leaves! You'll have plenty of time to…" Mr. Evans voice trailed off as he saw his young daughter serving a huge plate of bacon, ham, eggs, grits, pancakes, waffles, etc. to 4 different plates. She quickly scraped the contents of one plate to the other three, being that there was no way she'd be able to eat this morning. She was very peppy and jumpy, aware of everything that was going on.

Twenty minutes later, Petunia came downstairs looking scrawny next to her mother, and said, "Gosh, Lily. No one cares about your stupid school. You didn't have to wake up the entire neighborhood! If you embarrass me today, I swear…"

Lily gave her a huge smile and shoved a plate of delicious food in her face.

"Oh, honey! This looks marvelous! Thank you, dear!" Mrs. Evans started eating away while Lily and her father, who had finished by now, started packing Lily's trunk into the car, and making sure she didn't forget anything. Finally, when everyone was dressed and ready to go, they hopped in the car, Lily talking nonstop about what she had read in Hogwarts: A History, and Petunia pouting in the chair next to her. Lily jumped out of the car when they got to the train station, and looked around for someone that would look like her (robes, large trunk, maybe an owl?). Mr. and Mrs. Evans and Petunia followed after her.

"Well, honey, here are your things. What's the platform number again?" Mr. Evans called out to his quickly moving daughter.

"9¾ Dad! _COME ON_! Let's go!" Lily sprinted ahead to the area in between platforms 9 and 10. She looked at the solid barrier, took the stuff from her dad, and paused. She suddenly became very scared. What if this was all a trick? She would run straight into the solid wall and make a fool out of herself! Not to mention that she could hurt herself!

Suddenly, a very white-headed boy flew by her with all of his stuff calling out, "Move it or lose it _MUDBLOOD_!" Lily had no idea what that meant, but she suddenly had more confidence seeing that boy run through. She and her parents slipped through, leaving Petunia behind.

"Petunia! Just walk through!" Lily called to her sister. Because she didn't come, Lily ran back through and grabbed her sister. Her sister was incredibly embarrassed, and gave her sister the look of death. Lily brushed it off, and headed up to put her things away in the compartments. As she got off the train to say goodbye to her parents, she saw that same cute guy that she bumped into at Diagon Alley. He smiled at her and waved back at her as he was saying goodbye to his parents, and got on the train. Lily hastily went to say goodbye to her parents and Petunia before heading onto the train.

"Okay, Mom, Dad, I'm going now!" Lily said to her parents in a huge hug.

"We love you honey, have fun and do well! We can't wait to see you at Christmas and hear all about your new magic skills!" Her mother replied back. Lily hugged and kissed her parents one more time before facing her sister. Her sister had her arms crossed and looking around with a disgusted look on her face at all of the kids in cloaks and holding wands. Lily looked at her horrified sister with a look of sadness in her emerald green eyes.

"Well…umm…goodbye sis. I still love you." She gave her sister a hug goodbye, which was hardly returned. Lily gave her parents another flashy smile and headed to an empty compartment in the last section of the train.

Lily looked at the window and waved goodbye to her sister and parents, and then sat back down to read more from her schoolbooks. Suddenly, she heard her door open, and saw a girl her age standing in the doorway.

"Hey, umm, everywhere else is full. Do you mind if I sit with you?" the young girl asked. She had flaming blue eyes and curly ringlets of gorgeous blonde hair flowing down her back. Lily smiled, hoping that this would be her first friend, and motioned towards the chair.

"Thanks, I haven't been able to find a compartment. I went to one room, and this guy told me that only pure bloods could sit with them. I'm half and half, what are you?" She said all of this very quickly.

"Oh, well, umm, I don't know, what do you mean?" Lily was really confused.

"Oh you know, like are your parents a witch and wizard or are they muggles?"

"Oh! Sorry, yes, well, my parents are both muggles." Lily smiled back at the girl.

"Ooh, tough luck. Good luck with that blonde headed kid. He didn't seem very nice. Oh my! I'm sorry, I'm Skye Taylor, and hoping to be in Gryffindor, like my father. What about you?" Skye smiled up at her, and gave her a reassuring look that she was just as new as Lily was.

"My name's Lily. Lily Evans. I don't care where I am, as long as it's not Slytherin! I heard that's the _worst_ group! Is that true?"

"Yeah, all of the Slytherins are supposed to be really mean –"

Suddenly, the door came open, and two new girls walked in.

"Hey Skye! How's it going? We've been looking for you! Can we sit here?" The brown haired girl looked from Skye to Lily and smiled wider.

"Oh my! Hi, I'm Ariel McKenzie. This is Emily. Emily Stradford. She's really quiet around people she doesn't know well," she added with a hush. Ariel was a brown eyed beauty with straight, chocolate brown hair. She was gorgeous, just like Skye. Emily was pale, with black hair and hazel eyes. She was a little chubby, but not enough to not get noticed. She wasn't as dazzling as the other two, Skye and Ariel.

"Well, sure come and sit. This is Lily," Skye said. "They're hoping to be in Gryffindor like me!" She told Lily.

"Well now that you all want to be in Gryffindor, I hope I am too! I don't want to be all alone! I probably won't do to well. I don't know anything about magic at all. Just what I've read in these books," she said, pointing to a pile of books in her bag.

"Oh, you'll do fine! Everyone starts new, this'll be so great!" Skye said with a smile to Lily. "Oh, did you guys see _Amos_? He's incredible!" Skye said with a squeal.

"No, no, no," replied Ariel, "Those four boys in the group? The ones on the platform? Now _they_ were bee-you-tee-full!"

All of the girls laughed and had a great time talking and getting to know each other on the train. They bought treats from the trolley, and had a great time talking about classes and each other's backgrounds. Finally, when they got off the train, they headed into the boats, sailed across the lake, and went into the Great Hall to be sorted.


	4. Howarts

The first year students filed in one by one behind an old woman into the amazing Great Hall. There were students everywhere. All of the first years were in such awe that they couldn't speak. They were also very nervous about the sorting. The four girls – Lily, Skye, Ariel, and Emily – looked at each other with nervousness, but all smiled back at each other. They had all become quite close since the train ride.

Skye poked Lily, and she saw 4 boys standing a couple of yards away. Three of them were pretty cute, but one looked a little out of place. Lily suddenly felt bad for thinking that, and looked back to the stool in the middle of the hall.

The old woman they had followed had already started calling names. "Black, Bellatrix!" The black haired girl placed the hat on her head, and almost immediately, the hat called out, "SLYTHERIN!"

The next name was called. "Black, Sirius!" One of the four cute boys walked up to the hat, looking very worried.

'He must be related to that other girl,' Lily thought. "GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius leapt off the chair, yelling out, "YES!" as everyone laughed. Bellatrix looked particularly smug for the rest of the night. Finally, it was Lily's turn. "Evans, Lily!"

James watched Lily walk up to the stool and sit down. He recognized the wavy, red hair that he had seen in the Leaky Cauldron. When he could see her face, his mouth dropped wide open. He could not help thinking, 'Woah. She is absolutely beautiful. Didn't I see her the other day? Oh, yeah! Red-hair! Wow, her eyes…emerald green, and the way she walks, smiles…woah…'

James only snapped back into reality when he heard the hat shout, "GRYFFINDOR!" James smile spread even wider, knowing already that this was going to be a great school for him to be at, as long as she was there.

"James? Hello? James Potter? Helloooo?" Remus was now waving his hand in front of James' face while Peter laughed at him.

"Oh, Merlin!" Remus whispered. "Naked girl!" James looked down with a frown upon his face, which instantly turned into a laugh. Even though he was snapped back to reality, he couldn't get his mind off of that girl, Lily, was that her name?

Lily walked up to the stool, and timidly sat down. She felt the hat talking in her head. 'Ah, yes, a new girl. Muggle parents I see, but that is no matter. I see talent, bravery, intellect, and oh, yes, a thirst to prove yourself, but where to put you?' Lily found herself thinking, 'Please not Slytherin, not Slytherin, Gryffindor, please Gryffindor…'

Lily heard a loud, "GRYFFINDOR!" come from outside, and she had a huge smile on her face as she strutted over to the Gryffindor table. It wasn't long before Skye, Ariel, Emily joined her as well, all with huge smiles on their gorgeous faces. Skye eyed the four boys, and winked their way. The four boys they had seen together were all in Gryffindor too.

When all of the sorting was finished, the headmaster of the school, Albus Dumbledore, made a brief announcement before letting everyone eat.

"Reminder that this year, a Whomping Willow has been planted, and anyone who goes near it, is bound to die of the tree attacking it. Please stay away from it. Butter, Nitwick, picklejuice, let's eat!"

Plates and bowls of food appeared before them all, and they began to eat.

"That's the best thing I've ever eaten!" Lily exclaimed on their way to the common room. "What was that?"

She heard a familiar voice that made her blood run cold answer her question.

"Well, enjoy your last meal, _mudblood_, the blonde-haired boy from before called to her. "You won't be enjoying many more meals like that, as you _mudbloods_ don't even deserve it!"

The next thing that happen was a complete blur. Suddenly, after the boy, later found out to be Lucius Malfoy, finished speaking, a large amount of water balloons and cheese balloons were being pelted through the air. Somehow, the 4 boys from earlier had managed to hit every single one at Malfoy. He sulked away, muttering curses under his breath, to the Slytherin common room. Lily just stared ahead. Skye had explained to her during dinner what a mudblood was, and the 4 boys, Potter, Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew, who now called themselves the Marauders, had overheard. They were very much against anyone called a muggle-born witch or wizard a mudblood, a really disgusting name. So, they concocted this plan to hit Lucius. Skye, Ariel, and Emily led poor Lily to the common room, and put her to bed. This really had been quite an evening.


	5. Classes

Lily quickly learned to ignore the mudblood comment from the Slytherins. By the first couple of weeks, she was so busy that she didn't even notice anyone but her friends and her school work. She was going to prove to them that she was a great witch and that she deserved to be there. Charms turned out to be her favorite class, with Professor Flitwick. Transfiguration, with Professor McGonagall, turned out to be her worst class. She didn't hate it, but it was a hard class that she wasn't very good at. It turned out that Skye, Ariel, and Emily had to be the best friends that she ever had. They found themselves as the Divines, because of their eyes being so deep in color. After they all finished their homework, with Lily helping most of the time, they would sit and talk about everything – mostly guys. Lily, lately, had been crushing on Amos Diggory, a 2nd year Hufflepuff. He had seen her in the hallway, and smiled, but nothing more so far. Skye was already dating some 2nd year Ravenclaw. Everyone else was single…after all, they're only 11.

Lily had been learning more and more about magic and the wizarding world in general. She used the school's owls to write to her family every now and then, and she received the wizarding newspaper, the _Daily Prophet_, daily.

One morning, during breakfast, Ariel tapped Lily on the shoulder, motioning to Amos Diggory, who was getting up from his table and walking towards her. She smiled wildly at her friends and turned to the guy who was now standing beside her.

"Hey, I'm Amos Diggory. You're Lily, right?" He smiled down to her, and she just stared.

Ariel poked her again, and she mumbled out a, "Uh, err, yes, yes, you're Amos?" She suddenly became very red.

He smiled at her embarrassment, and continued the conversation. "So, uh, do you want to go, you know, out sometime?" He asked.

"Like a date?" Lily asked back in a very squeaky voice.

"Well, yes, I guess." Lily looked like her dream had come true.

She looked back at his smiling face, and replied, "I'D LOVE TO! I-I m-mean, th-that'd b-be you know, cool, sure, yes…Yes. Fine."

She was muttering and had never been more embarrassed in her life. She had lost all capabilities to talk now.

He put a hand on her upper back, and said, "How about, 7 pm tonight, meet right in the Entrance hall?"

Skye replied this time, for Lily. "She'll be there!"

He walked away smiling, and Lily squealed. Skye, Ariel, and Emily laughed, and they walked to class, unaware of prying and jealous eyes.

"Urg, why did she have to say yes? He's no good, that prat," James found himself wondering aloud, as he stared at Lily's beautiful smile.

"Uh, James, mate, you okay? What are you talking about?" Sirius asked with a glance from his fellow marauders.

James suddenly realized what was going on, and went to go find his girlfriend, Jamie Matthews, from Ravenclaw, waiting for him outside to walk him to his next class.

The Marauders were known for their excessive dating, and this girl was just to hold him over until Lily came to her sense and found out that he was alive.

Sirius, Remus, and Peter, looking very confused, decided to take note of this. Quickly, they went to go rescue their friend, to plan some more pranks on the girls before class. While walking to find James, they all talked.

"What the bloody hell is up with that guy?" Sirius asked in a rage. "He hardly talks, and is always staring off into space."

"Yeah, yeah, I agree with Sirius, here. He's been ignoring us all year," Peter claimed.

"He's in love," Remus said simply.

"WHAT?" Sirius and Peter exclaimed together. "Marauder's rule, no one can fall in love!

"Yeah, but we shouldn't have that rule. We all will sooner or later. Don't ask him about it, he'll come around in his own time."


	6. The Date

Skye, Ariel, and Emily were moving around frantically in the Girls' Dormitory looking for makeup, hair gel, etc. Lily's was supposed to meet Amos in 20 minutes, and she still didn't know what to wear! The girls were going all over the place, tearing their clothes out of their trunks to find something.

"How about this?" Emily said, holding up a shining purple dress. It was a v-neck halter dress, with light sparkle-beads down the breast.

Skye and Ariel looked to Emily, eyes in shock. "You are a genius!" Skye exclaimed.

Lily, locked up in the bathroom, called out to her friends, "Did you find anything? Hurry! I have to be there in 10 minutes!" She sounded scared, nervous, and really young.

"Here, put this on, with…these shoes…and hurry up! 7 minutes!" Skye said, thrusting the clothes and shoes in Lily's open arms when she opened the door.

One minute later, Lily, beautiful Lily, walked out of the bathroom, looking like a goddess. The three girls jumped up and down and cheered…she had never looked so beautiful. She was absolutely divine.

James looked up from his desk in the Gryffindor common room to hear the Divines squealing. He saw Lily come down, being pushed the whole way by Skye, and through the portrait hole. The Marauders stopped to watch her pass, mouths agape. James leapt from his seat, to follow her. Sirius snickered – he'd finally figured it out.

'Where is she going?' James thought. 'Oh, right. The date. Maybe I can get some information out of her…talk to her, get her to like the Potter charm.'

"Evans! Hey, Evans!" James called to Lily as she walked down the stairs to the Entrance hall.

"Yeah, what do you want?" She said, looking a James. He suddenly jumped in front of her, blocking her way down the stairs.

"Uh, yeah, where're you going? Out kind of late for someone like you, huh? Don't you have homework to get to?" Why was he being rude to her? He liked her…

"None of your business. Now get out of my way!" She didn't like him. She had seen him and his fellow Marauders trying to trick and hurt innocent people, and there was no excuse for that. She had always hated bullies, especially when they fight for no reason.

"Aw, come on. Don't you want to come back upstairs? Have a little fun of our own? You, me…"

"Stop there, Potter. I don't want to talk to you." She ran off quickly to find Amos.

"Damn you, Potter. You'll never learn." James started to head back up the stairs when he saw Skye smiling in a "you like her" kind of way. He kept his head down, pushing her out of the way while he passed.

"Lily! Hey! Are you ready to go?" Amos found Lily sprinting down the stairs.

"Yes, I'm so s-sorry I was l-late, Potter got in m-my way." Lily stuttered. She really needed to work on that.

"It's nothing. Let's go!" He took her arm, and they walked out to enjoy a nice walk by the lake.

"TELL US ALL ABOUT IT!" Skye exclaimed as Lily returned. She filled in all of the details, about the walk, the holding hands, and in the end, the kiss. Just a small one. But he asked her to be his girlfriend, and she said yes! Lily had a boyfriend, and she wouldn't be that happy for a long, long time.


	7. Pranks & Skanks

The Marauders had been planning a huge prank on the school. Being that they were trouble makers, they had to make their last resort to the school before everyone left for Winter Break. Everyone was getting so excited about presents, Christmas, and the break from school. They thought it would be a great idea, if they could make a huge ice skating rink for everyone to skate on from class to class, while having dungbombs flying at you if you were late! There were certain things that they wanted to follow certain people. They decided to have a miniature snitch chase around the Slytherins and attack them. For the girls of every house, charmed bottles of B.O. were to spray if they were running late. For the boys, just the dungbombs. They decided to throw special attacks on the Divines, just because they could…but what could they do? What was left? For the past couple of months, they had been learning different charms and spells to perform this massive attack on the school. Everything seemed quite normal at the beginning of the day. Everyone got up and got dressed, and headed down to the hall for breakfast. While everyone was at breakfast, the four slipped out and performed the charms, so that when everyone came out, it would hit them all at once. The plan worked perfectly, for the most part. The divines were the first out, as usual, because they hated being late to class. They stepped out of the Great hall, slid on the ice, down a tunnel, and somehow ended up back on the ice, covered in tar and feathers, with the jelly-leg curse attached to them. They could hardly move and were embarrassed beyond belief. The boys watched and laughed, holding their stomachs, as the Divines along with the rest of the school, got attacked. It was quite a day for them all.

"Those bastards! How dare they do this to us?" Lily called from the hospital wing. They had to get cleaned up, and were finally free from humiliation outside of the Great hall.

Skye kept laughing, she thought it was a great prank. Ariel, too, was laughing, and Emily did whatever Ariel did. Lily was just livid. She, for the next 6 years, would hold a massive grudge against James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. She later subtracted Remus from that group, because he apologized. Peter just followed the others around, so she couldn't be mad at him. She betted that they had pulled this on them because of the incident with Amos. A couple of days after Lily and Amos started dating, she found him under the Tarantellegra curse in the History of Magic Classroom. Amos had gotten back at them by telling James' girlfriend that he was cheating on her. Amos had caught James in the broom closet with Brooke Jade, a 1st year Hufflepuff. He was attempting to kiss her, when Diggory opened the closet, thinking he had heard something. Then, he busted James' and went on his merry way.


	8. Dementors & Breakups

The return from the holidays was not a pleasant one. Everyone wanted to be relaxed without homework or any other work. Eventually, everyone got back into the habits, and studied again.

One morning, at breakfast, a loud "Holy Merlin!" was heard from the far end of the Gryffindor table. Everyone turned to see Frank Longbottom yelling out to everyone about the attack from Dementors. About 15 dementors, the guards of the wizard prison, Azkaban, broke away from the island and attacked a town of muggles – an American city known as Panama. Everyone became really scared and cautious after that. Even though America was on the other side of the world, dementors could still break into Hogwarts. Lily, in particular, was affected. She, being a recent muggle herself, and having an all muggle family, was scared that these guards would attack her or her family. Emily assured her that nothing of the sort was going to happen, but Lily didn't quite believe her. Ariel kept to herself that this was most likely the start of a very bad era of dark magic and evil doings.

James was in no way affected by the news. He had heard about it over the break with his family – for his parents were Aurors, battlers of dark wizards. Sirius' family was a dark wizard family, but he didn't believe in what they believed in. He really was a true Gryffindor at heart, and spent many vacations with the Potters. Remus didn't pay much attention, though he did know this was the start of a very bad decade or two. Peter just agreed with whatever everyone else said.

Dumbledore, the headmaster, gave a brief warning to everyone to be very cautious. The year was slowly coming to an end, and he didn't want to see anyone hurt or dead. The whole school listened with much intent, hanging on his every word.

At the end of the year, everyone went their separate ways, to their own homes. Lily, Skye, Ariel, and Emily wrote each other every day. Sirius went to live with the Potters for the summer. The year had been a great one. Lily and Amos had gone out for 4 months when he decided to break up with her. The last Quidditch match was Gryffindor vs. Hufflepuff, with Gryffindor coming out on top. Amos was upset that Lily didn't cheer for him, and let her go. Lily was devastated, and didn't come to class for a couple of days. She sulked around for a while, until she felt better. The Marauders made fun of her for a while, being rude and arrogant like they always were. Lily had no tolerance for them, and ignored them. She had truly grown up over the past year.

Lily hugged her friends and said goodbye. When she saw them, arms out, she ran up to them and gave them a huge hug. Even Petunia seemed to miss her a little bit. She looked back at the train, and grinned. She couldn't wait for the new year to start.


	9. Back to Diagon Alley

_Meet in Diagon Alley at the ice_

_Cream shop! We'll all be there!_

_Love from, Skye_

Lily excitedly hurried upstairs to finish packing. Then, she and her parents headed to Diagon Alley. While her parents shopped around in the stores, Lily met up with her friends at the ice cream parlor. They hugged each other, said hello, and sat down to talk. They had just begun the conversation of boys when the boys showed up. James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter were all staring at them from the table next to them. They were talking rather loudly, making fun of all four of them.

"Come on, Skye, you know you love me. C'mon, give me a kiss, right here," he said arrogantly, pointing to his cheek. Skye looked at her friends and walked towards Sirius. She sighed, smiled a little bit, and leaned forward. Just then, _SLAP!_ She slapped him right across the face. The girls laughed and high-fived each other.

Sirius rubbed his cheek, and James pointed out, "Oi! Evans, you're not going to let him get all of the attention are you? C'mon, I want a kiss! What, no comments? No mean faces?" He said, smirking.

Lily looked over to the boys who were bawling with laughter. She looked him straight in the eye, and instead of insulting him, tried to make him feel really, really bad.

"James Potter, I'm so disappointed in you. How could you do such a cruel thing to people who never did anything to you? Come on girls, let's go somewhere else."

The girls got up, with fake sad looks on their faces. Ariel even managed a fake tear. Remus noticed, and got very squirmy after that. The boys followed them around for the rest of the day, poking and making fun of them for being big babies. The girls ran ahead of them on the street, and hid behind a wall. The boys ran after them, but when they entered the alley, they were alone. The girls snuck up behind them, and poured gallons of tar all over them. Then, Skye, who had her broom, flew over them with feathers and signs that read, "I am an idiot! I surrender to the Divines!"

The girls ran off laughing, as the boys stood there in the alley, in shock, as this was their first time being pranked on.


	10. Year Two

"So you're a _prefect_, Lily? I always knew you would be, you're such a goody-goody…" Ariel laughed as Lily punched her lightly in the shoulder.

"This means a whole lot of responsibility, you know," Emily started.

"Yeah, Lil. The only responsibility I want you to use, is that to knock out the Marauders!" Skye chirped. They all laughed and talked about how funny it would be to land one of them in detention.

"Well, if you put us in detention, I'll put you in detention," came a voice from the door. They all turned to the door to their compartment to see Remus Lupin staring them down with a shiny badge on his left shoulder.

"Hey, Ariel," he said, nodding to her and then to the other girls.

"Remus," Ariel said with a nod and a smile. Remus headed off, only to hear snickers come from the girls about Ariel. He laughed and joined his crew.

After dinner, Remus and Lily led their first years to their dormitory.

"See you guys later," they called as they headed off and parted with their groups.

"So Remus, how was your summer?" Lily asked politely. She had always liked Remus over the others. He wasn't as cruel, just likes to have fun every now and then. He would also never hex a person for no reason at all.

"Oh, it was fine. I got your letter about Greece, it sounded like so much fun. I wish I could have gone." He replied.

"Yeah it was pretty amazing. So, where do you Marauders go all summer? I mean, you guys are all attached at the hip-"

"Oh, and like you _Divines_ aren't? He said with a sly smile. "Well, we all went home to see our folks, and then we all meet up at James' house. His parents are the best, so laid back, so gentle and kind."

She nodded, and they waved goodbye so as to show the boys and girls where they would be sleeping.


	11. Hogsmeade

"Yes!" Skye shrieked from the compartment on the Hogwarts Express. She had just now opened her letter from Hogwarts, even though she was on her way there.

"We can go to Hogsmeade this year! This'll be great! I've never been there, but I've heard that it's really-" She was interrupted by the Marauders entering into their compartment to annoy them some more.

Sirius looked at Skye in a very mocking and condescending way, "What? You've never been to Hogsmeade? What kind of person are you?"

James laughed and said, "Obviously the kind that _follows the wittle wules!_" All of the boys laughed and headed back to their compartment.

Lily was fuming, "Oh, those boys! I can't STAND them. I wish they could just leave us alone!"

Lily didn't speak for the rest of the ride up there. Ariel chuckled, and Emily sat quietly, reading a magazine. Skye looked a little hurt, but wasn't going to cave in from her reputation of being the strong girl. She held her head up high, and went back to opening her mail.

It finally came time for the first Hogsmeade trip of the year. The girls were incredibly excited, and decided that this time, they would go together, no dates. They walked down to the courtyard to wait for the carriages to take them there. They heard a voice as they reached the Entrance hall.

"Going somewhere, _mudblood_?" Severus Snape, a third year Slytherin, said, provoking Lily. The Divines, froze, scared. No one but Skye spoke.

"Shove off, Snape. We don't want any trouble," she said, putting her arms around Lily's shoulders.

"Aw, wittle mudbwood need her fwend to save her?" Snape said, provoking even more. Just then, hexes and screams were heard from across the room. There, James and Sirius were sprinting towards Snape, wands at the ready.

"Tarantellegra! IMPEDIMENTA! STUPIFY!" Snape suddenly was thrown against the wall, and was unable to move by the three jinks thrown at him. Lily could not stand feeling like the damsel in distress, and ran up to Potter and Black, slapping them in the face, each.

"JAMES POTTER! SIRIUS BLACK!" Lily Evans had finally cracked. "Leave him alone! He didn't do anything to you!"

"He called you a mudblood! _AND_ he's a death eater!" James said.

"Yeah, not to mention he's just a worthless piece of sh-" Sirius started as Lily interrupted him.

"He's 13 years old! He's not a death eater! And even if he hexed me a million times, leave him alone! Better yet, leave me alone and stay away from me!" She quickly muttered the counter curses for Snape.

"The Dark Lord will take your life, Potter. And I don't need your help mudblood! Stay away from me!"

Snape glided off to the dungeon, sending Lily to Hogsmeade in a teary fury.

When they arrived, they first headed over the _Three Broomsticks_ for some butterbeer to wake them up. They chatted peacefully and laughed at each other's stories until they heard voices coming from the table behind them.

"Well, lets just go get it now, that way we won't have to come back here next week. Save us a trip, doesn't it, being in third year?"

Skye shot around to the table to see the Marauders. She walked up them and reminded them, "There's no Hogsmeade trip next week. Or are you really that daft to not be able to comprehend that?"

Sirius looked at her, "I'll take daft for 200 galleons, Sam!" The guys all laughed, and then Sirius continued, "You see my lady, there are other ways of getting what you want other than taking it only when you have the chance. Go out with me, and you'll learn that as well."

Skye rolled her eyes, "Great line. And I wouldn't go out with you if you were the last guy at Hogwarts! yelling You're sick, Sirius, all you do is date girls for two weeks-" but Sirius cut her off.

"Yeah, because I get sick of them! You girls are so emotional sometimes, sheesh-"

Skye was now screaming back at him, "IT'S CALLED PMS! AND IT'S NOT ALL THAT GREAT, WHY DON'T _YOU_ TRY IT SOMETIME!" She and the other Divines stormed off, leaving the Marauders laughing.

"URG! That dope, I wish he could just see what he looks like," Skye vented.

"They're all the same," Lily pointed out.

"Yeah," Emily started, "All they want is to date you for two weeks, enough time to get you knocked up, and then dump you!"

Ariel had yet to say anything. She looked down while she walked, "Well, I suppose. But, I mean, Remus isn't like that. At least one of them-"

Lily, Skye, and Emily looked at their friend, grinning from ear to ear. Ariel ran off with them chasing her and laughing at her crush.

"You know, Remus, I've been thinking. How on _earth_ did you figure out that statue's password, you know, werewolf?" Peter asked, looking at Remus while they all walked down the road of Hogsmeade.

Suddenly, Remus exploded, "WHAT did you call me? I don't know what you're talking about, how did you know? I didn't give any hints except that I was gone one night a month? I thought you were too stupid to figure it out! Go ahead, ditch me as a friend, I hoped you would understand, but I guess you don't-"

Remus vented on and on for at least a minute before James could get a word in. "Hold, hold, hold, hold, HOLD IT!" James bellowed, "WHAT are you talking about, Remus? We were just wondering how you knew about the password? What is this about hints and how we knew? And you being gone once a mo-"

James stopped walking. His friends turned around and stared at him, with his mouth agape. Remus shuffled his feet, looking down at the ground.

"Woah. Remus, mate, I'm so sorry, I had no idea, how long?"

"How long what? Will someone please tell-" Sirius started, but Remus interrupted.

"Since I was 8. I was camping with my parents and I went outside to get some fresh air, away from the tent."

"Wait, what's going on?" Peter and Sirius exchanged really confused looks.

"Look, I'm going to go take a walk, I'll catch up with you guys later," Remus said sadly. James, Sirius, and Peter watched him shuffle his way over to what looked like the shrieking shack. They followed far behind him, talking about Remus.

"So what exactly is up with Remus?" Sirius finally asked again. "Why does he go away once per month-" Sirius, like James before, stopped with the same reaction.

"Oh! Oh! Oh! _THAT's_ why…"

Peter still looked completely out of the loop. He looked up at his friends,

"PLEASE! I know I'm not that bright, but PLEASE TELL ME what's going on!"

Sirius and James caught up with Peter, and told him about Remus being a werewolf.

"But what can we do to help? There's got to be some way that we can keep him company once a month without becoming werewolves too," James thought.

Suddenly, Sirius jumped at an idea. "Well, think about it! Werewolves will hurt humans, but not animals! What if we became other animals!"

Peter looked at him with disbelief, "Yeah? And how are we supposed to do _that_?"

James got on to Sirius, unlike Peter, and said, "Yeah, Sirius! We could become…whispering animagi."

Peter squealed, "Oh! That's supposed to be really wicked! But what animals could we be?"

"Let's all be different," James suggested. "I'm going to be a stag, like my Patronus is," he mentioned.

"Yeah, mate, that's a good idea. I'll be a black dog then."

Peter thought for a minute. "I don't want to take my form of a patronus," he said, "Otters aren't very fun. I think I'll take something a little smaller, so that he won't see me and attack me if he gets really vicious towards us. How about…"

Sirius cut in. "How about a rat, Pete?" Peter thought over the idea for about one millisecond before he exclaimed, "Yes! Yes, that's it! A rat, thanks mate. Let's go tell Remus!"

"Hey-hey, wait! I have an idea! Let's spring it on him as a surprise! We should all have nicknames to remember this by! We can put these nicknames on the map too!"

"Yeah!" Sirius agreed, "Let's see. I'm a dog. I'll be…PADFOOT!" They all laughed.

James said, "I guess I'll be PRONGS!"

"My name is not going to be 'rat,'" said Peter. "How about…uh…I don't know!"

James laughed and said, "Well, you could be Wormtail. That's what a rat's tail looks like anyway,"

Peter laughed agreed, "Let's go tell him!" They all ran off to the shrieking shack to find Remus huddled in a corner.

So, Padfoot, what do you think of our friend, Remus, here? You know the whole, big, bad, wolf thing?" James said with a grin.

"I don't know, Prongs, what do you think Wormtail? Sirius said, concealing a laugh. Peter grinned and looked at his friends.

"I think that if we want to have a wolf for a friend, we better stay pretty damn well protected. I surely don't want to be bitten!"

Remus looked up at his friends, really confused. "What the bloody hell are you all talking about? What is Padfoot, Prongs, and Wormtail?"

"Those are our nicknames," James said simply.

"FROM WHAT?" Remus bellowed. He was really upset because he felt they were making fun of him and his condition.

"Oh, you know, just our animigus forms," Sirius said with a smile.

Remus looked at him, "You all are animigus? Since when? And you know that's illegal-"

"Well actually, we're not yet. We will be. We decided that if we want to hang around you, _Moony_, then we needed to be safe. So we're going to become animigus so that you don't have to spend one night per month all by yourself in this little peephole!" James said with a smile.

Remus looked up from his corner at his three best friends. He got up, and gave them the biggest hug he ever had. "You really mean it?" He asked, hopefully.

"Yep, we wouldn't want you to be all alone!" Peter told him.

"You three are the best," Remus said with a smile. "So _Moony_, huh?" He said with another smile.

They all laughed and stayed in the shrieking shack for the rest of the afternoon, laughing and talking about all of the things they could do when they became animals.


	12. Halloween Terrors

It was Halloween night. Everyone was in the Great Hall, eating the magnificent feast of candies and sweets. During the middle of the feast, the Marauders caught some of the third year slytherins sneaking out. They nodded to each other and decided to follow them. They followed them to the edge of the Forbidden Forest, and hid behind Hagrid's hut. They watched as the Slytherins hexed a troll into coming into the grounds. Stunned, the Marauders quickly took out the map, hoping everyone was still in the Great Hall for the feast. Just as the troll opened the doors to the school, 4 little dots called LILY EVANS, SKYE TAYLOR, ARIEL MCKENZIE, and EMILY STRADFORD moved from "GREAT HALL" to "ENTRANCE HALL."

The Marauders sprinted to the Entrance, fearing for the girls' lives. They loved playing pranks on them and making fun of them, but they would never want to see anyone seriously hurt, other than Snivellus. Their Gryffindor pride carried them up to the Entrance hall. They entered and what they saw amazed them. All four of the girls were shooting spells at the troll, successfully. The troll was trying to move forward toward the girls, but kept being shot back and distracted when it got hit hard in the face by some random blue, red, green, or yellow spark. The girls seemed to be doing just fine, but the boys could tell that it would take them a while to get the troll completely down. The boys understood that they didn't necessarily need the help, but they wanted to help anyway. They ran up behind the troll, yelling curse after curse and hex after hex. It took only two complete minutes to finally wear off the troll to the ground using eight people. Altogether, they were successful in defeating the troll, knocking it unconscious.

Just as Ariel was about to thank them, the Great Hall's doors opened. The students filed out, clearly stunned that there was a massive troll lying unconscious in the middle of the Divines and the Marauders. Everyone went over to the Marauders and congratulated them for defeating them.

The girls could hear echoes of, "Good thing you saved the girls in time!" and "I bet they're glad you were here to save them!"

Once most of the people had left, Lily found her way to the marauders themselves. She started yelling loudly, filling the hall.

"HOW COULD YOU? We were doing just fine, we could have gotten rid of it ourselves, but NO you had to have your big moment of fame and glory, didn't you? Urg, let's go girls."

All four girls stomped out in complete anger, even Ariel.

She thought at least Remus would have had the decency to say, "Oh, no, they did most of the hexing. We were just moral support." The boys, clearly and utterly stupid, stood rooted to the floor in a state of confusion.


	13. Feelings

"Lily, _dahling_, you have got to get a grip! All you've done for the past three years is work! No boys at all! Don't you have a love-life! I've had at least 7 different boyfriends! You have yet to have anyone after Diggory!"

Skye was really in a fury on the Hogwarts Express as the girls headed to their fourth year of school. She had been jumping on everyone's backs ever since her last boyfriend broke up with her. Lily gave her a look of pure disgust as she continued reading on the way up to Hogwarts for their fourth year of schooling. A couple of minutes later, Frank and Alice came in to say hello, followed by the Marauders. The Marauders had lessened their attacks on the Divines, but were still the kind of people to pull pranks, sneak out, and hex people for no reason. James and Sirius were the two out of the four that were really arrogant jerks. They thought that everyone loved them, and had no idea really to love anyone other than themselves. Fourth year was the big mark for the unity of the two groups. When the Marauders came in to say hello to the girls, Ariel and Emily held their breath. Remus went and sat down between Ariel and Emily, while Peter plopped down in between Remus and Emily. James sprawled out over Lily, who immediately pushed him to the floor, and Skye sat next to Sirius. They talked for a while, the whole time Lily ignoring the fact that James was trying to get her attention.

What _is_ it that I'm doing wrong?" James muttered to himself.

"Well, mate, I think you just aren't her type. You haven't exactly showed some compassion for anything than what she hates most about you." Remus came out of nowhere. James had thought he was alone in the common room.

"W-what? Oh, hey Moony."

"You are going to have to change if you want her that badly," he said quietly.

"Huh? What are you talking about? I'm not after anyone…I'm just tired – I'm going to bed." He headed up to the dormitory, leaving Remus chuckling to himself.

'4 years, 4 years, and he still doesn't realize it. Will he ever grow up?' Remus thought to himself, as he walked up to bed…

"Will he ever grow up? Just sprawling himself all over me – he thinks that's funny, does he? Well it's not!" Lily pouted on a couch in the common room.

Skye plopped down next to Lily, along with Ariel and Emily and put a hand around Lily's neck and pulled her close.

"Aww, wittle Wiwy has a wittle cwush on James!" cooed Skye. She, along with Emily and Ariel, were laughing into tears when Lily lashed out at them into a pillow fight. There were feathers everywhere. Once they were all too tired to move, they cleaned up the room with a charm, and headed up to the dormitory to get in bed.

"I _don't_ like James! That's just sick, Skye, it really is. But I think Ariel's got a little thing for our friend Remus…"

"Oooooh!" All the girls cried and moved their fingers in a ticklish way, even though they weren't near each other.

Ariel hid under the blanket, came out, and cried out, "Oh really? Well I think Emily's got a little thing for little Petey!"

"I do not! He's not even my type! He's Peter…he's…"she trailed off as Lily interrupted her.

"Perfect for you! You know it Emily! I say go for it…right, girls?"

Lily looked around the room at the other two girls, who started chanting the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song about Emily and Peter until they were too tired to move.

"Oh, Lily…Lily, Lily, Lily…one day you'll see. Everyone's noticed…you'll end up together in the end…" Skye muttered under her breath as she listened to the other girls pass out under their sheets. Eventually, she too fell into a deep sleep, dreaming endlessly about the one person who had finally shot her the look she'd been waiting for since day one at Hogwarts…

"So, Prongs, what's up with you and Lily? Seemed to be getting a little cuddly on the train there, eh, guys?"

The other Marauders all laughed until James saw fit to mention Ariel and Emily.

"There's nothing going on, we're all just friends. Well, except you and Lils, she may always hate you; mate, unless you clean up your act!" Remus said to James while they were all upstairs.

"Ah, please, she'll never like me. I've got to think of something; maybe I should just take more notice of her? See what she likes?"

"Prongs, mate, that probably won't help. She'll still hate your guts. I don't know why you keep chasing her; there are plenty of other girls out there, why stay stuck on her? Just move on man!" Sirius said

James took in what he said, and then said quietly, so no one could hear, "I don't know Padfoot. Just something about that girl…"

For the rest of the year, James did everything he could to make Lily notice him and to make her like him more. She, however, just got more and more upset by the way he treated other people and even her at times. Skye kept telling her to just give him a chance, but no go. Lily was just too stubborn for her own good. Meanwhile, in the dark part of the world, Voldemort continued to gain more and more followers. By the end of that year, all Slytherins in year 6 and above had the dark mark. The younger ones who wanted to be Death Eaters as their later careers, sucked up to the older Death Eaters, and eventually had their names down to have theirs put on their left forearm as well. James and the Marauders continued to put down more names for Death Eaters, and Lily continued to punish them in her own way. By the end of the year, James had lost 90 of the hope he had that Lily would notice him.


	14. Back on the platform

For the fifth time, Lily Evans and her family, without Petunia this time, headed through the barrier to the platform that would lead her to the train that would lead her to her home – Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Lily put her bags on the train carriage, and just as she walked away from her parents after saying goodbye to get on the train, she heard a loud scream.

"LILY!" Lily whipped her body around to see Skye Taylor, her best friend of 5 years, sprinting every ounce towards her. Lily smiled a very large smile, and ran to her best friend. They hugged a huge hug and ran giggling onto the train and began talking about everything under the sun. Summer, boys, school, boys, family, boys, etc.

"Oh, Lils, thank you so much for that great Broom Servicing Kit! It's AMAZING!" Skye exaggerated.

She was so excited to see her friend. Usually, they got together during the summers, but Lily and her family had flown off to Greece for the summer. Just as Lily had begun explaining everything, her two other best friends, Ariel and Emily, walked in, jumping up and down. They all hugged and talked and laughed. Once again, Lily was interrupted by screams and jumping up and down. They looked out into the corridor to see James and Sirius knocking each other over on the left, and Frank and Alice making out on the right.

"Together for 2 years now, right? Damn." Ariel had always wished for what Frank and Alice had, everyone did. They looked back at the cute couple and saw a shiny ring on her right hand. They figured it was a gift from her grandmother or something like that. They looked to each other, "aww-ed", and went back to their corridor after watching Remus and Peter jump on Sirius and James as well.

"Those dopes," Lily muttered as she sat back down with her Divines. She _finally_ began telling her story, right from the point where they all had to leave each other for the summer.


	15. Responsibility

"So you're a _prefect_, Lily? I always knew you would be, you're such a goody-goody…" Ariel laughed as Lily punched her lightly in the shoulder.

"This means a whole lot of responsibility, you know," Emily started.

"Yeah, Lil. The only responsibility I want you to use, is that to knock out the Marauders!" Skye chirped. They all laughed and talked about how funny it would be to land one of them in detention.

"Well, if you put us in detention, I'll put you in detention," came a voice from the door. They all turned to the door to their compartment to see Remus Lupin staring them down with a shiny badge on his left shoulder.

"Hey, Ariel," he said, nodding to her and then to the other girls.

"Remus," Ariel said with a nod and a smile. Remus headed off, only to hear snickers come from the girls about Ariel. He laughed and joined his crew.

After dinner, Remus and Lily led their first years to their dormitory.

"See you guys later," they called as they headed off and parted with their groups.

"So Remus, how was your summer?" Lily asked politely. She had always liked Remus over the others. He wasn't as cruel, just likes to have fun every now and then. He would also never hex a person for no reason at all.

"Oh, it was fine. I got your letter about Greece, it sounded like so much fun. I wish I could have gone." He replied.

"Yeah it was pretty amazing. So, where do you Marauders go all summer? I mean, you guys are all attached at the hip-"

"Oh, and like you _Divines_ aren't? He said with a sly smile. "Well, we all went home to see our folks, and then we all meet up at James' house. His parents are the best, so laid back, so gentle and kind."

She nodded, and they waved goodbye so as to show the boys and girls where they would be sleeping.


	16. Just a Trick

"Almost full moon," James noted, "Tonight, right, Moony?"

"Yeah. You guys are coming, aren't you?" He suddenly had this very large panic-stricken face upon him.

"Of course we are, we're not completely awful friends, are we Wormtail?" Padfoot nodded to Wormtail who was just then joining their breakfast group in the Great Hall a couple of weeks back from summer break.

"I'm going to go down there a little early tonight. I just don't feel up to risking anything. You all come later though. I hate it when you see the transformation."

"Aww, come on Moony! That's the coolest part!" Peter begged. Remus shot him a look of surprise, considering that's the most painful part for him. After all of these years, he still hadn't gotten over the pain.

Peter instantly said, "Oh, right. Sorry Moony," and continued his breakfast. Meanwhile…

Wake up Skye! We're going to be late! Breakfast is over in 15 minutes! Skye? Hello, Skye?"

Lily looked down at Skye in her bed. She was beat red, fever hot, and sweating a great deal.

"Oh, Merlin! Ariel! Emily! GET OVER HERE!" Ariel and Emily ran into the room from the common room, where they had been waiting.

"Lord, Lily, you are loud! What's going on-" Ariel and Emily looked at Skye, who was breathing hard and deep.

"Oh, no! We have to get her to the hospital wing! Hurry!" Ariel, Emily, and Lily lifted Skye up, carrying her throughout the castle. They moved as quickly as they could, many looks of confusion and terror as they made way through the castle. The Marauders showed up while they were running, and came instantly to help.

"What happened to her?" Remus cried, "Is she okay?"

"We don't know," Lily panted, almost in tears, "She's not breathing well."

They arrived at the hospital wing, and the nurse took her immediately. She told them to go on to class, but Lily couldn't leave. Ariel took Lily's hand, but Lily started to cry. She ran out before any of the boys could tell, and hid in the Astronomy tower. Ariel and Emily came to her side. They understood completely. They all cried for a while, until they heard a door open, with a professor asking if everything was alright. They were okay by then, and hurried along to class.

Sirius, James, Peter, and Remus walked to class. Sirius stayed behind for a minute, to look after Skye. For some reason, he was particularly worried about her. She looked so peaceful, but in so much pain, lying there in that bed. The curtains drew themselves around her, and he left. He ran into Severus on the way to class.

"Aw, sometink wong wif wittle Bwack's guwlfwend? Poor baby," he muttered.

Sirius was so angry, that he shot out, "You know what, Snivellus? Why don't you take that attitude to the Shrieking Shack tonight at midnight, where we can have a _real_ dual, but now, I'm late for class."

Sirius knew very well that it was a full moon, and intended on Moony to kill Snape for him.

After dinner, the other Divines went to visit Skye. Lily had been there all day, between classes, during lunch, etc. Skye was sleeping soundly now, and looked a whole lot better.

"It was poison," the nurse had said that day during lunch when Lily visited. "Someone tried to poison her. A simple engorging charm and some rest and she should be just fine. Who do you know has a grudge against this girl?"

She asked timidly. Lily was still teary-eyed, and didn't answer. She shook her head eventually, as to say that no one hated her. She was easily likeable. The Marauders, without Remus, went to visit her too. During this time, Sirius let it slip that he played a great prank on Severus. James burst out of the hospital wing, and rushed to help Snape. When James arrived at the Whomping Willow, the tree that Remus snuck under when he transformed, Snape had already gone in. He and Remus were arguing. Just as James got to Snape, Remus transformed. James and Sirius (in dog form) helped get Snape out. Dumbledore was informed, and Snape was told never to reveal Lupin's secret. If so, he would be expelled. For days, weeks even, the Marauder's didn't talk. No one could believe Sirius had been so stupid.

When Skye finally came back to the dormitory, everything changed. The Marauders talked everything out, and were back together. Lily was happy to have Skye back, and Sirius seemed downright chipper.

Finally, exam time came. Every 5th year was in the Great Hall, taking their Defense Against the Dark Arts Exam. All that could be heard was the sound of quills scratching along.

"Five more minutes!"

The voice made Lily jump. She quickly tried to get down the rest of her essay before time was up. Across two aisles and up a third from her, James was straightening up now, putting down his quill, pulling his roll of parchment towards him so as to reread what he had written. He yawned hugely and rumpled up his hair, making it even messier than it had been. Then, with a glance towards Professor Flitwick, he turned in his seat and grinned at a Sirius sitting four seats behind him. Sirius give James the thumbs-up. Sirius was lounging in his chair at his ease, tilting it back on two legs. His dark hair fell into his eyes with a sort of casual elegance that James's could ever have achieved. Two seats along from Sirius was Remus. He looked rather pale and peaky and was absorbed in the exam: as he reread his answers, he scratched his chin with the end of his quill, frowning slightly. Peter looked anxious; he was chewing his fingernails, staring down at his paper, scuffing the ground with his toes. Every now and then he glanced hopefully at his neighbor's paper. James was now doodling on a bit of scrap parchment. He had drawn a Snitch and was now tracing the letters 'L.E.'

"Quills down please!" squeaked Professor Flitwick. "That means you too, Stebbins! Please remain seated while I collect your parchment! Accio!" Over a hundred rolls of parchment zoomed into the air and into Professor Flitwick's outstretched arms, knocking him backwards off his feet. Several people laughed. A couple of students at the front desks got up, took hold of Professor Flitwick beneath the elbows and lifted him back onto his feet.

"Thank you… thank you," panted Professor Flitwick. "Very well, everybody, you're free to go!"

James hastily crossed out the 'L.E.' he had been embellishing, jumped to his feet, stuffed his quill and the exam paper into his bag, which he slung over his back, and stood waiting for Sirius to join him. A gang of chattering girls joined James, Sirius and Lupin,

"Did you like question ten, Moony?" asked Sirius, as they emerged into the Entrance Hall.

"Loved it," said Lupin briskly. "Give five signs that identify the werewolf. Excellent question."

"D'you think you managed to get all the signs?" said James in tones of mock concern.

"Think I did," said Lupin seriously, as they joined the crowd thronging around the front doors eager to get out into the sunlit grounds. "One: he's sitting on my chair. Two: he's wearing my clothes. Three: his name's Remus Lupin."

Peter was the only one who didn't laugh.

"I got the snout shape, the pupils of the eyes and the tufted tail," he said anxiously, "but I couldn't think what else –"

"How thick are you, Wormtail?" said James impatiently. "You run around with a werewolf once a month–"

"Keep your voice down," implored Remus.

James and his three friends strode off down the lawn towards the lake, "Well, I thought that paper was a piece of cake," Sirius said. "I'll be surprised if I don't get 'Outstanding' on it at least."

"Me too," said James. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a struggling Golden Snitch.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Nicked it," James said casually. He started playing with the Snitch, allowing it to fly as much as a foot away before seizing it again; his reflexes were excellent. Peter watched him in awe.

They stopped in the shade of a beech tree on the edge of the lake and threw themselves down on the grass. The sunlight was dazzling on the smooth surface of the lake, on the bank of which the group of laughing girls who had just left the Great Hall were sitting, with their shoes and socks off, cooling their feet in the water.

Remus had pulled out a book and was reading. Sirius stared around at the students milling over the grass, looking rather haughty and bored, but very handsomely so. James was still playing with the Snitch, letting it zoom further and further away, almost escaping but always grabbed it at the last second. Peter was watching him with his mouth open. Every time James made a particularly difficult catch, Peter gasped and applauded. After James seemed to be enjoying the attention. James' habit of rumpling up his hair as though to keep it from getting too tidy was taking over him as he kept looking over at the girls by the water's edge.

"Put that away, will you," said Sirius finally, as James made a fine catch and Peter let out a cheer, "before Peter wets himself with excitement." Peter turned slightly pink, but James grinned.

"If it bothers you," he said, stuffing the Snitch back in his pocket.

Sirius was the only one for whom James would have stopped showing off.

"I'm bored" said Sirius. "Wish it was full moon."

"You might," said Lupin darkly from behind his book. "We've still got Transfiguration, if you're bored you could test me. Here…" and he held out his book.

But Sirius snorted. "I don't need to look at that rubbish, I know it all."

"This'll liven you up, Padfoot," said James quietly. "Look who it is…" Sirius's head turned. He became very still, like a dog that has scented a rabbit.

"Excellent," he said softly. "Snivellus."

Snape was on his feet, stowing an OWL paper in his bag. As he left the shadows of the bushes and set off across the grass, Sirius and James stood up. Lupin and Peter remained sitting: Lupin was still staring down at his book, though his eyes were not moving and a faint frown line had appeared between his eyebrows; Peter was looking from Sirius and James to Snape with a look of avid anticipation on his face.

"All right Snivellus?" said James loudly. Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway into the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"

Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter.

"Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet halfway through a dive towards his own fallen wand. Students all around had turned to watch. Some of them had got to their feet and were edging nearer. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained. Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands raised, James glancing over his shoulder at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Peter was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view.

"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James.

"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."

Several people watching laughed and Peter sniggered shrilly. Snape was trying to get up, but the jinx was still operating on him; he was struggling, as though bound by invisible ropes.

"You - wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing, "you - wait!"

"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What're you going to do, Snivelly, wipe your nose on us?" Snape let out a scream of mixed swear words and hexes, but with his wand ten feet away nothing happened.

"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"

Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, and choking him –

Lily and her friends were sitting by the Lake's edge after the exam. They had all done remarkably well. While talking and laughing near the water, they noticed a group of people rushing over the other side of the lake. Then they heard a high-pitched scream that filled the air. Lily turned her head to see what was going on. "What is it?" asked Ariel. "It's Potter," replied Lily, "He's pestering Snape again." She got up to defend him.

Leave him ALONE!" Lily shouted angrily. James and Sirius wheeled around to face her.

"All right, Evans?" asked James, the tone of his voice sickeningly sweet.

"Leave him alone," Lily repeated, looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"

"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean…"

"You think you're so funny," she said coldly, "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."

"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on… go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."

"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily.

By the time she had finished saying this, Potter and Snape had engaged in a not-so-friendly fight which had stopped temporarily with Snape hanging upside-down in midair.

"Let him down!" she said impatiently.

James did as he was told, but as Snape landed in a crumpled heap on the ground, Sirius had said, "Locomotor mortis!" which caused Snape to keel over as rigid as a board.

She took out her wand, shouting, "LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"Ah, Evans, don't make me hex you," said James earnestly.

"Take the curse off him, then!"

He muttered the countercurse, saying, "You're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus-"

"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"

"Apologize to Evans!" roared James threateningly.

"Don't do that- you're just as bad as he is!"

"What!" yelped James, hardly believing her words. "I'd NEVER call you a- you-know-what!"

"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just gotten off your broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you just because you can- I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."

She turned on her heel and stormed off. Some of the girls from the lake were getting up now, glancing at Lily.

"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey! EVANS!" She didn't look back.

"What is it with her?" said James, trying to look as if it was a throw-away question of no importance, and knowing he was failing.

"Reading between the lines, I'd say she thinks you're a bit conceited mate." said Sirius.

"Right." said James, furious now, "Right…"

There was a flash of light and Snape was hanging upside down in the air.

"Who wants to see me take Snivellus's pants off?"

James, however, was deep in thought. He'd really screwed it up this time. Lily HATED him now… And there was nothing he could do to change that…

Voldemort's attacks in the fifth year became more and more prevalent. Every few weeks, black owls would be sent to children whose family or friends or known person had died. During these awful times, the students would have to stick together, or risk losing everything.


	17. Year Six

"Hey, Lily, yet again, a prefect?" Skye questioned her best friend on their way back to school for their sixth year – OWL year.

"Yes. This year is going to be so hectic – what with prefect duties, school, OWLs, family, you guys, and dealing with annoying Potter over there."

"You know he likes you-"Emily started. "NO HE DOESN'T!" Lily bellowed. Everyone in the compartment jumped. "He's _just_ trying to land me in bed – he's disgusting."

"We are not arguing over this again, are we? Girls please, I'm sick of hearing how Potter likes our Lily here. We know he does, but let's not tell Lily, okay?"

The girls winked at each other while Lily rolled her eyes. The fact was, Potter had asked Lily out 67 times. He never gave up. She just decided to ignore him. He would never grow up, never change, she would think often. Just then, who would you guess but –

"POTTER! GET OFF OF ME! What do you want anyway?" Lilly shouted angrily as James jumped onto her lap and looked up from laying on her.

He had a devilish grin on his face as he replied, "Kiss me my love, that's all I ask. You know you love me-" Lily's face looked like she was going to explode. Ariel quickly called Sirius, Remus, and Peter who grabbed James so that Skye and the Divines could hold Lily back.

"LOVE?" she bellowed, "LOVE? HOW CAN I LOVE YOU WHEN I DON'T EVEN LIKE YOU, POTTER? YOU MAKE ME SICK!"

She sat back down and stared out the window, cursing under her breath, for the rest of the way back to school.

Virgin Marys, I always say," Sirius said with a tint of a perverted attitude as they sat down in their own compartment on the train. "Those are the ones you got to look out for. They have the highest tempers," he started as he stuffed a pumpkin pasty in his mouth.

James cut in with, "What did I ever do to make her hate me so much? I know I joke around sometimes, but it's just for a good laugh-"

Remus then sighed. They all looked to him and he looked at them back, confused, "Well why're you all looking at me? I didn't do anything-"

"You know, Moony. What is it? What's wrong with me?" James pleaded.

"Well-" started Sirius, but James cut him off with a glare and a very rude hand gesture.

"Shut it, Padfoot!" James looked back to Remus with begging eyes.

"Well, I think she thinks you're a bit over the top, mate. Try working on that this year." He tried. He knew it wouldn't work, though. Lily always told him that she would _never_ go out with James Potter. She hated him with a passion too great.

"Lily Evans…" James whispered as he looked out the window. He watched as the trees passed by, reminding him of the beautiful color of her eyes. He let out a long sigh as he waited for the train to reach the school.


	18. Christmas Break

"He's been following me around all year. Every day, at least once, he asks me out. It's getting really old," Lily complained as she and her friends packed their bags to go home for Christmas.

"Did you ever think that you could just go out on one date? What will it hurt?" Emily tried. Ariel nodded in agreement.

"It would be torture, that's why! All he wants is…well, you know," Skye completely agreed with Lily. She had just caught her now ex-boyfriend, Randy Copreena, snogging another girl in the broom closet. She was extremely tense, and was now completely against men in general, for the hundredth time that year.

The girls finished packing in silence, and left their dormitory to the Entrance Hall where they would leave to go home for the holidays.

"So, umm, Lils, are you doing anything special for the holidays with your family?" Ariel asked, trying to make polite conversation and steer the anger away.

"Well, every year, my mom and I help out at this Winter Festival at the park across the street from our house. We paint faces, have a barbeque, have games, prizes, you know, things like that, to raise money for those who don't have the money to enjoy the holidays," Lily stated. "The best thing is, though, that I don't have to deal with any pranks from Potter during the Holidays. I can go somewhere without fearing a water balloon, or a sneezing whizbee! Lily and her friends laughed about the ridiculous acts of the Marauders until they got to the train.

"Lily! Honey, over here!" Lily ran into her mother's arms as she left her friends for the holidays. "Mom! Dad! It's great to see you! Where's Petunia?" Lily looked around her parents, hoping to see her sister hiding behind them. "She's on a date, with this boy named Vernon Dursley. He's, uh, quite-the-catch," Mrs. Evans said hesitantly. Lily and her father laughed and headed home. On the ride back, Lily told her parents everything about school. She had always had a great relationship with them, and loved telling them all about the world that they would never fully know.

They arrived home, ready for a lovely Christmas as a family again. "It's good to have you home, pumpkin," Mr. Evans kissed his flame-haired daughter on the forehead as he opened the door. All of the lights were out, but there was a strange noise coming from the living room.

"Um, Dad, did you leave the television on?" Lily looked to her father and mother, who had very confused looks on their faces.

They all walked carefully into the kitchen/living room, where a moan was heard, along with a movement on the couch. Mrs. Evans flipped the lights on to find her daughter, Petunia, sprawled out on the couch on top of her boyfriend, Vernon.

"PETUNIA EVANS!" Mrs. Evans gasped; Lily covered her mouth in a laugh at the size difference of the two people, and Mr. Evans darted towards the two. He pulled – well, tried – Vernon off and away from his daughter.

He was so furious that he could only manage a few words out of his mouth, like, "YOU! COUCH! TOGETHER! IRRESPONSIBLE! OUT! GET OUT NOW!"

Petunia ran up to her room in tears as Vernon waddled out the door as fast as he could. This was sure to be an interesting Christmas.

About a week later, Lily awoke to a pecking on her window. She rose from her bed, groggily, and took the letter from the owl. She read over the letter from Skye, and how her brother drove the car right into her parents' bedroom. By the time she had finished the return letter, her mother had walked in.

"Hurry and get dressed, baby! We have to get to the festival to help set up. I know that you've had a lot of stress from your schoolwork, so I'm giving you an easy job, hon." Lily's mother smiled.

Lily stared at her mother for just one second, recognizing the same red hair that flowed down the back.

"What am I going to do?" Lily asked, eager to hear about how she could help raise the money.

"You, my beautiful girl," said Mrs. Evans, kissing her daughter on the forehead, "…are going to paint the children's faces! It will cost each person just one dollar. Paint whatever they like onto their cheeks, but nothing too risqué, kay, dear?" Lily's mother laughed, hugged her daughter, and left the room.

Lily got ready as fast as she could, eager to spend another beautiful winter day repeating traditions. She charmed her clothing to stay warm (hey, it _was_ one of the charms for homework in Flitwick's class over break!), and ran out the door to meet her mother.

"Hi, there! That'll be one dollar. What would you like to have painted?" Lily asked the little girl with a smile.

"Um, may I have a rainbow, please, maim?" Lily beamed at the small 5-year-old. She loved how her golden locks curled at just the right places, and how her little smile caused dimples in her cheeks. 'I want a little girl just like that, if I have kids,' Lily found herself thinking, as she changed to the purple paint.

"There you go! You're all done!" Lily said brightly. The little girl started to walk away, but came back and gave Lily a quick hug and a, "Thank you, lady." Lily laughed and leaned back in her chair, welcoming the little break she had. She took out a magazine, and began to read about one of the Weird Sisters getting married.

"How about a pair of lips?" A voice asked from behind the booth that Lily was sitting at.

"James, honey, are you alright? You have seemed so distant since you got home," Mrs. Potter said in a concerned voice while ruffling his hair into an even messier state. She and James were sitting in the living room, on the couch. James had been staring at the wall when his mother walked in to ask him if he was hungry enough for lunch. James looked down at his shoes at his mother's question, and shook his head. His mother smiled slightly, although James could not see it from the way he was looking downward.

"Do you want to go see her?" His mother asked him, slyly.

"See who?" James asked, suddenly looking up.

"Lily Evans: that girl you always talk about. I know that's who you're thinking of. Go ahead, go see her. Are you two dating yet?"

"No, mum. She still hates me. She won't talk to me, let alone acknowledge that I am alive…"

"Maybe you should try talking to her again. Not about that, mind you, but about her. Get to know her, be gentle and caring. I know you care about her; you've only talked about her for six years. I love you, son. Now go find her!" James' mother said, pushing him towards the door.

"Thanks mum," James' muttered, "I love you." And with that, he headed out the door.

James knew that Lily lived in a town called Little Whinging. He decided that the best way to show that he was really making an effort was to go the muggle way. He took a train from Godric's Hollow, and found himself, somehow, in Little Whinging. He walked down the street, casually, wondering where on earth he was going to find Lily. Better yet, what would he say to her? By the time he came back to his thoughts, he realized that there was a festival just down the road. The park was fairly small, but there were many people hustled around. James followed his nose to the food stand, but found no Lily.

"And who are you, young man? I know everyone here, except you! Who are you here with?"

James turned around to see a young woman with long, red hair and blue eyes. He muttered, without thinking, "Ev…err…Lily?"

The woman laughed a little bit and shook her head. "You're here with Lily? I didn't know she had a boyfriend, she never mentioned anything…Oh, I'm so sorry! I'm Mrs. Evans, Lily's mother. She's right over there, see? At the booth. It looks like she's out of faces to paint. I'll expect I'll see you later, then?" She said, smiling, as she walked off to check on the other stands.

'Well, I can definitely see where she gets her good looks,' James thought as he walked.

As James arrived to the booth, he saw his beautiful Lily, reading a magazine. Her hair was flowing down her back and across her shoulders. Her emerald eyes were moving right to left, right to left. He took a deep breath, and said, "How about a pair of lips?"

"That'll be one-" Lily stopped what she was doing and looked up. Smiling down at her was the one and only James Potter. James' heart skipped a beat (or 10) when she spoke. Her voice was so beautiful, so angelic.

Lily looked up at James, who was smiling down at her. "What are _you_ doing here? I really don't have the patience for you right now."

She turned her chair around and went back to her magazine. She knew he wouldn't leave and give up that quickly, but she had to keep up her annoyance attitude. James smiled, his eyes pleading for a kind gesture. He told himself, be nice, be gentle, don't be arrogant.

"I came to see you," James said simply.

"And why on earth did you come to see me? Planning on asking me out again, are you?"

"No, actually. I just thought you might want a break from your brushes. And, hey, I want those lips. You are the painter after all, right?" James laughed a little bit, and sat down on the stool next to her.

"I thought you were giving me a _break_?" She asked.

"Well, right after I said that I realized that there's no chance in hell that you would go on a walk with me, so I quickly changed my mind," James shrugged.

"If I give you lips, will you go away?" Lily sighed and looked at James in a very frustrated way.

"That depends on what kind of lips you give me. There's really only one kind that would really suit me you see," James rose from his chair and walked behind Lily, and started rubbing her shoulders. For some reason, Lily could not lift her shoulders to shake him off. She closed her eyes, and let out a very quiet moan. She had no idea what came over her, but she suddenly had no control over her words.

"D-do you want to, umm, take a, you know, one of those things where you move your legs…and…?" Lily continued to keep her eyes closed, moving slightly with the movement his hands on her shoulders.

He came around to her front to look at her, and smiled. "Sure, _Lils_, let's go." He offered her a hand to help her up, and she took it, still mesmerized by his touch. They started to walk through the park to the swings, which were a decent walk away from the main area of the park.

Lily finally took her hand back when they arrived at the swings. They both sat down, and swayed gently.

"Why are you really here, _James_?" Lily asked.

The sound of his name against Lily's tongue made James melt. He decided that if there was anything Lily liked better than cursing him, it was honesty. He didn't want to try anything smart and lose her, so he just told her the blatant truth.

"I had to see you," he replied. "I couldn't do anything at home, I just stared at the wall until my mother told me to go and see you. She hated that I was so miserable."

He looked down to his feet, clearly embarrassed that a marauder could feel so strongly.

Lily, too, looked down at her feet. She saw him reach out a hand to her, but she refused to take it.

"James, I can't do this."

James looked at her, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You – me – together, I can't do this," Lily stood up and started running away. James sprinted after her, calling her name. He grabbed her hand, and pulled her close to him. She wriggled to get away at first, but then subsided. She made movements as to try to get away, but nothing that said that she really did want him to let go. He looked at her, sadly.

"Why not? I thought you were enjoying this…"

"That's not the point James! You can't just be one way one day and then the next be this entirely different person! I just know that when we get back to school, you'll still be the same arrogant jerk that you always have been! I don't want to do this, Potter; I don't know why you even bothered to show up! Please, just leave me alone!" Lily ran off as fast as she could back to her house, where she curled up in her bed, and cried herself to sleep.

James stood rooted to the spot where Lily had left him. He knew that he should leave her alone now, but he didn't understand what he did wrong. All he did was tried to take her hand, but she jumped all over him like he tried to strangle her!

'Women,' James thought to himself.

He hastily ran back through the park, and went home. He spent the rest of his Christmas break in his room, shut up, dark and alone. His worried parents sent for Sirius, but even he couldn't help James. James' mother held her son tightly as he fell asleep the night before he went back to school, hoping that this girl would come back to him, for she hated to see her son's heart broken into so many pieces.


	19. Twisted Fate

After the holidays. Lily and James wouldn't speak to each other, and this was worrying all of their friends. To make matters worse, Emily still hadn't come back from her holiday break. She was supposed to return back to her house the day before school started back, but she never showed up at Hogwarts.

Two days after school started back, the girls were in their Charms class when they heard the door open. Everyone looked to see a very tired and sad looking Professor McGonagall enter the room. She kept her hand on the door handle, and started to speak, looking towards Flitwick the whole time.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but may I borrow Lily Evans, Skye Taylor, and Ariel McKenzie for the rest of class?"

Flitwick understood her face, and nodded.

"Y-yes, of course, Minerva."

The girls looked confusedly at each other as they gathered their things and headed for the door. Professor McGonagall kept her head down as she led the girls to Dumbledore's office, where only the worst was expected.

Ariel looked up to the professor as they walked down the hall and came to the gargoyle in front of the staircase that led upstairs.

"Professor? Where's Eh-Emily?" Ariel stuttered on her words. She was quite scared of why she was being taken with her friends to Dumbledore's office. The professor had not answered her question, but left them alone with the headmaster.

"Hello girls. I have some very grave news for you," Dumbledore started.

"Is she okay? Where's Emily? What's happened?" Ariel was on the verge of tears. She looked so scared, so panicked.

"I'm sorry to say that your friend is no longer with us. Voldemort paid her a little visit over the holidays. I am so sorry, girls. You have the permission to miss school for the next week, but we all expect to see your happy faces a week from today-"

Lily, who was having a hard enough time as it was, ran for her life before Dumbledore could finish. Skye stayed with Ariel to comfort her. Of course, Skye was very upset, but she had to be the strong one. She cried, but refused to let anyone but Ariel and Lily see her cry.

Lily was a muggle-born, just like Emily was. She ran to the lake, and sat behind the beech tree to the right, away from prying eyes. She couldn't help but think that her family could possibly be in very grave danger. Voldemort could kill her family just like he did Emily's. She bawled into her hands and knees, barely breathing straight.

Little did she know, the one person that could help her was on his way down to comfort her. Lily let her tears fall silently and slowly down her cheeks while she tried to catch her breath. She looked out to the horizon. She saw the sun starting to set. It was so peaceful. She let her tears fall to the ground, sanctifying in the memory of her dear friend. She heard footsteps behind the tree, and hid even more behind the tree. She heard the footsteps stop, and then felt a hand on her shoulder from a person sitting beside her. She turned, to see James.

Even when she was crying, with red, puffy eyes and flushed cheeks, she was unbelievably beautiful. James looked at Lily, and a pain shot through his heart as he watched her cry. She turned into him, and rested on his chest. He pulled her closer and wrapped his strong arms around his Lily. He rocked her back and forth, comforting her. He needn't have said anything, this was enough for Lily. She finally calmed down, but didn't get up from James for a while. She stood up, embarrassed. She couldn't look at him, not here, not now, not after everything that happened. James took her to the common room, arms around her shoulders, and let Skye take her to the Girls' Dormitory.

James knew it was best to leave her alone now. Lily still was affected deeply by what happened during Christmas break, and had made it very clear. She didn't want to remember that he held her, she just wanted to forget everything of that past year. Unfortunately, Lily couldn't forget anything, and had a long summer of heart ache and confusion ahead of her.


	20. Meeting in the Dungeons

Peter waddled his chubby way through Hogwarts looking for his friends. He was running at such a quick pace for himself that he toppled over, cursing. He looked down to see a shadow cast over him. He looked back up to see the green and black cloaks of Lucius Malfoy, Narcissa Black, Bellatrix Black, and many other Slytherins who were only out for trouble. Peter knew this, but disregarded it because he knew he was lonely. He was so desperate for some sort of companionship that he would do anything to not be lonely anymore. He stood up quickly, and dusted himself off. He tried to look like he knew what he was doing, but he failed in the attempt.

"Off somewhere, Pettigrew? To find your little friends, maybe? They don't need you. Why do you always act like their slave when they treat you like dirt? They just think that you're a weakling, and that you can't take care of yourself. Be the better man, Pettigrew, and come with us," Lucius hissed these words at a very frightened Peter.

"Well, I guess I am a little tired of it all," he spat.

"Good. Now come with us. The Dark Lord wants you, Peter. He believes that you have the potential to be great. He sees this in you, my friend, even if Potter and those clowns don't. Come with us. The dark lord is anxious to give hear your thanks for his compliments."

Peter followed the Slytherins down through the forbidden forest to a portkey, hidden inside a large tree. He found himself whirling through the air, next to Lucius who was smirking at him the entire time. They landed next to a locked door that seemed to be very far away from Peter's dear home of Hogwarts.

Lucius looked at the door, and said, "The Dark Lord hath all of the power." The door swung open, revealing a tall man in a dark cloak, waiting on a floating chair. Peter sat down, feeling very anxious.

'What am I getting myself into?' he thought to himself. 'Well, I guess there's no backing down now, the Dark Lord would kill me if I left…'

"Bella, please do the honors."

Bellatrix Black walked towards Peter with a hot metal rod in her hand. On the end, was a shape that looked like a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth. Peter closed his eyes as he started to feel the pain of the burn on his left forearm.

"Well, Mr. Pettigrew, glad that you have finally joined us. I dare say that you will not regret this decision. Now, for your task. You are to act as a loyal ally to Dumbledore. I want to know everything that goes on to stop us. Any disloyalty and you face the severe consequences. Understand?" Voldemort's face was hidden by a black cloak, but Peter could hear the hardening in his voice. He nodded quickly, then listening intently to the rest of the meeting.


	21. Hogwarts Express

For the last time, Lily says goodbye to her parents on the platform going to school. She hugs her friends and says hello, even though she saw them a week ago at her house. She and her friends, Skye and Ariel, sit in the compartment, mute. Emily had passed 8 months before. This was the first time they had gone to Hogwarts without her. They eventually got into casual conversation, and talked about Emily, even.

"She would want us to laugh, and to have fun. She wouldn't want us to miss out on this year. You know Lils, there are really only a couple of things she really wanted. She wanted to fall in love, she wanted to become a healer, and she wanted all of us to grow up happily. She wanted all of us to get great careers, and fall in love. She knew who we would all end up with you know. She wrote it in my letter," Ariel said quietly, "She wanted me to be with Remus."

"She wanted me to be with Sirius," replied Skye. They both looked to Lily. She said nothing, but they knew.

They began to talk of happier things when suddenly, it hit Lily: the Head's meeting! She placed the letter out of her mind and rushed out to the Prefects' department. Along the way, she wondered who the Head Boy was. Head Girl was a great honor, she figured it would be someone like Remus Lupin, just because he was prefect the last two years, and really responsible, most of the time. She slid open the door only to see a messy haired boy sitting in the Head Boy's seat…

James Potter.

"What are you doing here? Why did you take Remus' badge?" She questioned him like he really took it.

"I'm Head Boy," he said it calmly and coolly.

Lily was in shock. "But you weren't even a prefect!"

He looked back at her, but replied quickly, "I know, I don't know why Dumbledore picked me. I guess we can ask him when we get to school."

He smiled at her, and she just turned away. They went over the directions to the prefects, and then they were dismissed. Everyone left except James and Lily. James made to leave, but noticed that Lily wasn't budging. She seemed to be writing, going through papers, checking times, etc. Lily looked up to see him staring at her. She sighed in a frustrated way and went back to her work. Sirius appeared at the door.

"Prongs! Come on mate, we're all waiting on you. Oh, hello, Evans." He just barely noticed her small frame hiding behind James' chair on her right. "So are you coming?"

James got up again, but looked back at Lily, then back at Sirius. "Nah, I'll be there in a minute, Padfoot."

Lily shrugged and went back to her work. James sat carefully back down next to Lily. Lily looked over at him, and he started a conversation.

"How was your summer, Lily?" She was taken aback that he chose to speak at all. She sighed again, and answered him.

"Well it was fine except I had to spend it with my mediocre sister. How was yours?"

He was appalled that she answered his question at all. He told her about his family, Sirius moving in because his family disowned him for his Gryffindor behavior (they were all Slytherins), etc.

As they were getting up to go back to their compartment, James looked at Lily and asked her if she was alright, about Emily. She didn't say anything at first, but just sat back down in her chair. James reached out a hand and rubbed her back while she held her face in her hands. After a few minutes, she looked up at the wall opposite to them. He rose from his chair, and offered a hand to help her back up again. She took it, and he embraced her in a surprise hug. He rocked her gently back and forth, and she just closed her eyes. She was so close and he couldn't control himself. He pulled back a little bit, but did not let go. He could tell from Lily's eyes that she was enjoying his company and needed his hug. He took his right hand, and placed it under her chin to raise it up. He kissed her softly, and she barely returned his kiss. He pulled away, and she stared at him for a minute, before running out to her friends, crying. Her friends embraced and hugged her, but never asked what happened to her.

Lily had left a confused James standing in the Heads' compartment. He looked down at the chair she had just been sitting in. He slowly walked over to the chair, and sat down. He leaned back in the chair, still able to smell her sweet and light perfume. Closing his eyes, he thought of the kiss they had just shared, and why he felt so blissful when she locked her lips onto his.


	22. Royalty

At the school, Dumbledore made announcements before dinner. He asked the students to please be cautioned of the Dark Lord, and to also stay out of the Forbidden Forest. He also asked to speak to the Head Boy and Girl right after dinner. The students all ate and enjoyed their dinner. Afterwards, James and Lily headed to the front of the dining hall. Dumbledore and the two heads walked up the staircases to the Heads' room, all the while Dumbledore explaining the job to them. He showed them that they needed a password, one that they got to create for their Heads' house. He then smiled as he left the two to think about what he'd done.

He laughed to himself and thought, 'Yes. I do believe I made the right choice with these two. I give it about a month…'

"How about…Lily Evans is James Potter's sex toy," he kidded.

Lily just gave him a warning look. "Only kidding, he said. "How about…oh! I;ve got it! The _Divine Marauder_?"

He chuckled to himself as the portrait swung open when Lily agreed hastily. They stopped dead in their tracks when they got inside. Inside their common room, was the most luxurious area they had ever seen. They were living in royalty, these two were. Satin and silk, famous and expensive furniture, housing, etc. Their rooms had their names on them, and were just about as big as the common room itself. The entire Heads' _HOUSE_ was amazing.

They had both just settled in when they realized that they had duties. They went to go patrol the corridors from 9:30 – 11, and came back and hour and a half later, exhausted. They hadn't talked much. As a matter of fact, they had barely said a word to each other all day, since the kiss that is. Back in the common room, James found Lily lying on the couch, face down. She seemed to be fast asleep. He walked over to her quietly, kissed her hair, and whispered, "Goodnight, Lily."

The first real day of school was pretty easy. Lily had taken most of the courses in her sixth and fifth years, so she had half as many classes as the years before. She actually had time during the day to just go sit and relax. She found a nice, quiet spot in the Forbidden forest that she occasionally went to. After duties one night, she went there instead of to the Heads' room or Gryffindor room. James got worried about her, grabbed the Marauder's map, and set out to get her. He changed into his Prongs form, and saw her doing homework by moonlight. He came up as Prongs, and she talked to him. He carried the sleepy Lily back up to her dorm, as James, and collapsed on the couch, Lily still in his arms. He laid down, her head rested on his chest, and he fell asleep.

Lily woke up the next morning, still on James' chest, and a strange feeling overcame her. She had had a dream where James had turned from a stag back into himself…She looked up to him. She smiled, wondering if it could be real.

'It sure would explain a lot,' she thought.

He woke up a moment later, and looked at her. He smiled and sat himself and her up to sitting position. He recognized her smile of thanks, and watched as she walked off to breakfast.


	23. Notes, Dogs, & Stags

Ariel was sitting on the bank of the lake when she heard footsteps behind her. She turned and saw Remus Lupin walking towards her. She smiled, and he sat down next to her. They talked and enjoyed their Saturday. A little while later, they began talking of Emily, and how important she was to Ariel.

"She wanted so many things," Ariel started. "She even planned out who each of us should be with."

"What do you mean?" he asked, really confused.

"I mean, you know, she thought that obviously Lily and James should be together, and then Skye and Sirius…"

"And you?"

Ariel looked from the sky back to Remus, who was looking at her.

"She…she wanted me to be…umm…with…you."

They stared at each other for a minute, unable to speak.

"But she's gone now…God, she was my best friend…" Ariel's eyes started to tear up in remembrance of Emily. She took her hands, and covered her face with them. Remus gave her a hug to make her feel better, but didn't completely let go of her…and she him. When they released each other, they looked straight into each other's eyes. Then, they both leaned forward, and kissed each other. Remus wrapped his arms around Ariel and she took hold of his neck. They dove into a deep, passionate kiss, with lots of feeling and love. He stopped, thought for a moment, and ran off as fast as he could, leaving Ariel to ponder what she did wrong.

On the other side of the grounds, Skye ran quickly down to the Quidditch pitch. She mounted her broom, and began throwing Quaffles at the goals for extra practice. She heard a _whoosh_ behind her, and saw Sirius take the keeper's spot. They played for a little while until finally, he stopped one of her goals. She, in a fake angry fashion, flew towards him, and they both reached the ground and started running up the hill towards the castle. Skye, being in better shape physically than Sirius, caught up easily and knocked him over onto the hill. They lay there for a minute, breathing deeply for the rush of the run up the hill, and then sat up and stared at each other. They laughed for a minute, but kept staring. Sirius reached out to tuck Skye's hair behind her ear, as it was in her face. She moved her face with his hand, and he took her face with his other hand. He took her into a deep and passionate kiss, just like Remus had with Ariel. This time, however, no one ran away.

Ariel stayed away from Remus for the next day. She couldn't figure out what she did wrong. Finally, when he didn't show up for dinner, she got really worried about him. Oddly, James, Peter, and Sirius finished dinner quickly and sprinted out of the castle. Ariel, Skye, and Lily ran up to the Gryffindor tower to spy on them. On Lily's old bed, there was a note. It read:

_Meet downstairs in the courtyard._

_10:00 sharp – You won't want to_

_Miss this!_

Lily, confused, went downstairs. Suddenly, she heard a yelp. First, a little brown and white rodent ran past her and into the shadows. Second, a black dog bitten badly, and in a lot of pain, and third, the same stag that she remembered from the other night. 'Wait, is that…JAMES? James is an animigus! That must mean…prongs! Padfoot! Sirius is the dog! Wormtail! Peter is the rodent! What is Remus…' There was a growl behind her and Lily screamed. A werewolf almost bit her when the stag pulled her out of the way and carried her back to the Entrance Hall. She ran away as fast as she could.

Back in the head's room, Lily waited for James. When he finally came in, around 6 am, she was exhausted. She was actually asleep, and he woke her by opening the portrait.

"James? Where were you?"

He looked tired, and replied, "I – er - fancied an early walk."

She looked at him, and remembered. "NO!" She called.

He whipped around and said, "What?"

Everything was coming into focus. She explained what she had figured out and he sighed, confirming her suspicions.

"And, um, thank you for saving me last night. Someone sent me a note, I don't know who, so I thought I'd check it out. I'm sorry."

He embraced her in a loving hug. She welcomed his hug and then they parted ways to rest for the day (Sunday). Later, Lily would encourage Ariel to go back and talk to Remus, so that she could see that he was just scared.


	24. Heaven's Love

James and Lily decided to do their duties and patrols together that night. They walked, talked, etc. Lily slipped into the Ladies' room real quick on the 3rd floor, when Snape turned up. He started insulting mudbloods to James' face, and he just couldn't take that. He hexed Snape, and pinned him up against the wall, just as Lily came out.

"POTTER! PUT HIM DOWN! I can't believe you!"

He tried to explain, but-

"NO, POTTER! I can't believe I EVER thought _you'd_ change! You'll never change!"

She stormed off to the think somewhere with James' screams coming from where she'd left him.

"LILY! Turning to Snape You'll pay for this one Snivelus!"

He stormed off to find her, but no such luck. He decided to write her a letter for when she comes back to the Heads' room:

_Lily –_

_I am really sorry for what happened. You have to understand, that I had no choice but to react to him that way. He provoked me, and insulted witches and wizards of non magical parentage. I was really upset by this, and I'm sorry, I just snapped. I wanted to apologize to you for that, because I don't feel you truly understood what happened. You know, Lily, just seeing you smile makes my entire day feel like I just won all of the galleons in the world. Nothing can make me feel so great as to see you. Not Quidditch, not the Marauders, not pranks, hexing, anything…just you, Lily. I'm sorry, I hope you can forgive me. _

_James_

James left the note on the desk in the Heads' common room, and head off to the Room of Requirement to think for a little while.

Lily, exhausted from the climb down from the Astronomy tower, headed to the Gryffindor common room, before she realized that she has all of her things in the Heads' Palace. She reluctantly went over there, giving the password (_Divine Marauder_) to the woman behind the curtains. She scooted in, to find the entire place empty. She looked around, seeing nothing, until she noticed a piece of parchment on the counter to the left. She picked it up, and began to read the splotchy words that James wrote to her. While she read the last couple of words, tears started to fall from her eyes.

An hour and a half later, James returned back to the Heads' room. He saw the missing parchment, and figured she had gone off to look for him. Five minutes later, an out of breath Lily returned, with tears streaming down her face. James rushed to her, eager to fix her broken heart. He took her in his arms, and listened as she tried to speak, but barely any sound came out.

"I'm so sorry, James," she whispered. She looked up to see a look of concern this great on his face when he looked at her. She knew at once that she had made a terrible mistake.

"I'm so sorry James! I wish I hadn't jumped to conclusions. I know you've changed a lot, and I can tell. I'm sorry. I want to say that, I really appreciate what you've done for me. You've comforted me in times when I really needed you, even if I did deny it. You've been right this whole time…I've never hated you. I wish that I had learned that first year. You are such an amazing guy, and you always make me feel like I'm really loved. I'm sorry for not giving you the fair shot that you deserve."

She sobbed some more, and he took her into his arms. He held her, just letting her weep into his shirt, for 5 or so minutes. He comforted her and then took her over to the couch to sit down on the cause that she looked extremely worn out. He continued to hold her. He lifted her chin up, just like he did on the train, after she started to calm down.

Just then, he kissed her. She felt herself melt on top of him, feeling every ounce of love from him pass to her. They held each other tightly, not letting go. Finally, they were able to feel the most incredible feeling that life brings. James and Lily pulled away from each other, and held each other for the rest of the night.

They woke up early the next morning, holding each other. She looked into his sleepy eyes, and he looked back. He pulled her into him for another kiss, and she melted once again. It lasted only seconds, but it felt like eternity to both of them. They both felt like they were spinning, and they felt as light headed as a feather falling to earth. He smiled when they pulled back, and said in a hushed tone, "There's my water Lily."


	25. October Bells

Remus Lupin walked into the common room from his dormitory to find Ariel sitting next to the fire, reading a book. He took a deep breath, and walked over to her. She saw him, bit her lip and looked into his eyes.

"Let's take a walk," he said. She never let her eyes go away from his, and he led the way to the Room of Requirement. Remus explained his werewolf situation, even though she already had a clue. He explained to her that the kiss they shared was one in a million. He had been so scared of what he was doing, because he feared she would not want to be with him after she found out his condition.

Ariel looked at him, his teary eyes, and said in a loving voice, "I've waited this long, haven't I?" He smiled adoringly, and pulled her into another kiss. She leaned back onto the couch, and allowed him to pull her closer to him. Remus pulled away for a moment and caught his breath.

He looked deep into Ariel's eyes, and told her the three most dangerous words in the human language, "I love you, Ariel."

She smiled and said back to him, "I love you, Remus."

They resumed kissing each other, neither realizing nor caring that they wouldn't be returning that night to the Gryffindor tower. They fell asleep holding the other tightly.

It was a warm October night, early in the month, and James found Lily in the Heads' common room. He looked at her and asked her to meet up with him in 20 minutes for a picnic dinner. He took her down to the lake, where they sat on a blanket and ate Lily's favorite food: fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, and Mexican rice. James knew that this wasn't exactly wizard food, but he wanted Lily to be unbelievably happy. They ate and enjoyed each other's company. As they watched the comet fall from the sky, James looked into her eyes.

"Lily," he started. She looked deeply into him, and melted from there. "Lily, I want you to know, that I have waited 7 years, just to get you to sit next to me. I have waited 7 years to feel this happy and 7 years to just see you smile when you look my direction. Over the years I've come to know you, and I want to be with you more than anything. Will-uh-you, umm, I mean, I know we kind of already are, but, Lily, will you be my girlfriend?"

Lily looked at the comet once more, and knew that even though she had "hated" him for so many years, that she needed to be with him. He made her happy, and made her feel emotions that she had never dealt with before.

She looked back up at his anxious face, which turned into a grin as she said, "Yes."

He kissed her with more and more passion and love, and she returned the favor. After 7 years of loving Lily Evans, James Potter had finally succeeded his goal. Lily Evans was now his, and he was not going to let her go…ever.


	26. Christmas at the Evans'

"Lils! Oi, Lily! Hey, yes, look! My parents want you to come for Christmas!" James exclaimed, waving a letter through the air in the Heads' common room.

"James! James! Hey, yeah, look! My parents said it's ok for you to come for Christmas! Lily exclaimed at the same time as her boyfriend of 2 months.

They both hugged and kiss excitedly, and passionately more, falling onto the couch, becoming entangled in each other.

"How about this, love?" Lily started. "You come with me to meet my parents for Christmas, and then we go to yours for New Years Eve. How's that?"

He looked at his beautiful girl with such love that she blushed uncontrollably.

"Fabulous, baby. Listen, I – uh – am not too good with dads…"

Lily laughed her boyfriend's comment off.

"My dad is an old softie! You'll love him! I'm so excited…come on! Let's go pack!"

Lily and James went upstairs to the Heads' room, doubtfully, to pack their belongings for the trip.

The snow glistened as it fell off of the rooftop and onto the heads of the families waiting for their children to come home for the Christmas holidays. Lily and James were particularly excited, and the same with Skye, Sirius, Remus, and Ariel. Peter had yet to appear hardly all year.

"So, it's all agreed?" James asked the five before him.

"We all go our separate ways and then return to James' for 3 days of break there, yes, James, we got it!" Skye pushed.

Lily and James looked at each other, knowing that there would be two days of just James and Lily time before all of their friends arrived. Lily had yet to think where everyone was going to sleep. She didn't even think to ask.

"The train's stopped," Ariel said. They all looked at each other, and everyone gave everyone else a hug goodbye.

"We'll see you soon!" they all called out to each other.

Lily's parents were waiting in their usual spot to hug and kiss their beautiful 17 year old daughter. They also wanted to meet this James Potter, the one Lily had always complained about, and was now dating!

"Lily! Darling, over here!" Mrs. Evans called to her daughter as she got her bags. Lily ran up and jumped into her mother, and the same with her father.

"Where's Petunia, I thought she was coming-" Lily's face suddenly became rather worried.

Her father looked to his daughter, and explained, "Oh, honey, she's fine. You know her; one day she'll come around. She's out with Vernon right now, should be back tonight for dinner."

Lily wrinkled her nose in disgust at the name of _Vernon_. He was a tall, big boned, beefy man with very little neck and prune-ish skin.

"Oh! Mom, Dad! I'm sorry James! _This_…This is James Potter, my boyfriend." James stuck out his hand for Mr. and Mrs. Evans to shake. They both took it politely and immediately fell in love with him.

"It's great to see you. Lily talks about you both all of the time, it's great that you all have such a close relationship. It really is a pleasure to be able to come and stay with you for the holidays, thank you so much!"

As James beamed up at the Evans family, and Lily's mother found herself thinking, 'Oh, he's good. Lily's in for quite a treat with this one!'

The car ride home was a pleasant one, much talk about school, James, life, James, James, etc. Back at the Evans home, Petunia and Vernon were sitting in the den, reading the newspaper and waiting for Lily to get home. Petunia had no idea that James would be coming too, and let out a small gasp when she saw the hunk of wizard standing in her kitchen.

"PETUNIA!" Lily screamed as she went to hug her sister. She barely returned the hug, then pushed her sister off of her, seeing James.

"_Who is that_?" She said nastily.

"Oh! Vernon. Sorry Petunia. James, this is my _sister_, Petunia and her boyfriend, Vernon. Petunia, this is my _boyfriend_, James."

Petunia looked at the both in complete disgust, "Boyfriend? Well that's a first. It's about time you found _someone_ that liked you."

James looked like someone had just bit him in the arse. He walked up, with sheer confidence to Petunia Evans. He looked her straight in the eye.

"You don't have to be jealous because Lily is more talented than you, in every single way. Don't worry, I'm sure he won't completely crush you-"

James and Lily ran laughingly upstairs to Lily's bedroom, leaving Petunia in shock, and Vernon in a rage. He called up the stairs to James and Lily, "DON'T YOU DARE TALK ABOUT MY FIANCE LIKE THAT!"

The rest of the stay at the Evans household went fairly well. Lily's parents absolutely adored James, and Petunia stayed out of the way. When it was time for Lily and James to go to James' house, Mr. and Mrs. Evans were crying. They loved their daughter, who they hardly ever got to see, and now, they loved their new son-in-law. Of course, James had not proposed to Lily, but Mr. Evans could see how much they loved each other in their eyes. He chuckled to himself as he let the kids go.

"POTTER MANSION!" James called into the fire, clutching Lily's hand. She looked at him, right before they left, not sure if she really heard the word mansion.


	27. Christmas at the Potter's

"JAMES! Oh, honey, I missed you so much! Your father's out on duty right now, but he'll be back tonight. Oh, you must be the Lily we've been hearing about for 7 years! It's so great to finally meet you! You are just…gorgeous, no wonder my son likes you so much. Anyway, are you hungry, thirsty-"

Mrs. Potter was cut off by her son's hand across her mouth. She chuckled as she was told to let Lily breathe.

"We just ate breakfast at the Evans' so I'm going to show Lily to her room, okay Mom?" Lily wasn't paying any attention to James. Her mouth was wide and agape, looking at the room she had just entered. If this was one room, what did the rest of the _palace_ look like? Lily felt a hand pull her out into a hallway and up a very beautiful flight of stairs. She looked at James in awe of his house.

"You never told me you lived in a palace, James!" She exclaimed as she looked around.

He laughed and replied, "Well at least I know now that I'm not dating a gold digger!"

She laughed and opened the door in front of her. Inside was the most incredible room she had ever seen in her life. Expenses everywhere, jewelry, clothing, etc. The entire room was fit to suit the person who would be sleeping there, thus, Lily's Quidditch team poster was on one wall, with all of her belongings already in place.

"So, do you like it?" James asked, smiling. He could tell by her mouth wide open that she loved her new room.

"Well, I could definitely get used to this!"

For the next few days, James and Lily spent infinite time together, learning more about each other and each other's lives. Lily fell in love with James' parents, and they loved her back. They were so warm and welcoming, especially since they did not have a daughter of their own.

One morning, during breakfast, there was a knock at the door. James rushed to open it, only to be jumped on by Sirius and Remus (Peter couldn't come this year). They all laughed and jumped around with each other, while Lily rolled her eyes.

"Lily? Where is she?" She heard Skye's voice penetrate throughout the house aimed at James.

"She's in the kitchen, go through that door-" But Skye had already walked through, and jumped on Lily. Ariel arrived next, and once again, much more happiness that the whole group was together. Lily showed the girls to their rooms, and they had the same reaction that she had had when she walked into her room.

"Prongsie, my boy! How's it going with Lily, now that you _finally_ have her!" Sirius said, clasping a firm hand on his best friend's shoulder and then walking around James' room.

"Things can't be better-" Remus started laughing to himself, and the three boys turned to look at him.

"Well, it's about time! You've been in love with her for 7 years! You _do_ love her?" Everyone turned to James. He looked around the room, searching for her picture. He smiled as she waved, and looked up at his friends.

"Yeah, mate, I love her. I love her more than anything."

Remus grinned while Sirius starting squealing in a high pitched voice.

"Oh, my baby's just growing up! I knew this day would come sooner or later! At least I know I've taught him good manners!"

The three rolled on the floor in laughter.

"Ariel! You're still dating Remus, right?" Lily asked, smiling.

"Oh, yes, he's amazing. I wish he had asked me out a couple of years ago-" Skye smiled widely and jumped to her feet and off of Lily's bed.

"HAH! I knew it! You said you didn't like him!" Ariel blushed and hid under the pillow.

Skye said, "Well at least _I_ know when to say I like someone! I LOVE SIRIUS!" Both girls, Ariel and Lily, turned to look at her. They smiled and started laughing.

"Oh, come on, you know you love Remus, Ariel. And Lily…Lily, you tell us, what are you feeling for James? You've been going out for what, 2 or 3 months now?" Skye and Ariel leaned in closer to Lily, giving her the "I know you want him" look. Lily laughed, and started telling all about her visit with James to her parents' house and back to there. They all were holding their hands to their hearts, and cooing, "Aww!" as she told the story.

She finished it with, "This has been the best Christmas break I've ever had. He's so romantic and sweet and funny, and caring too…I love him so much and, I think, I think I'm in-in love with him!"

All three girls screamed and jumped up and down. The boys rushed in and asked what was wrong. They all started laughing when the boys came in, and just rolled over on the bed. The Marauders looked at each other, smiled, and jumped on top of the girls, tickling them into a pillow fight that lasted the rest of the night.


	28. Career Choices

The year started to come to a close, and the professor were talking more and more about careers and what each person wanted to choose. The head of houses were told to talk to the students in their 7th years, and were all very excited to hear what kind of people would be fighting against this new battle of good and evil in the wizarding world. Professor McGonagall came in to talk to each of the students.

First, was Lily. Lily told professor McGonagall that she wanted to either work as an Auror, healer, or in the Department of Mysteries in the ministry. Professor McGonagall let slip that she hoped Lily would become an Auror. Lily had a knack for dueling, discovered in her fourth year, and was the queen of charms. She decided to head for that career choice, along with the others, except Ariel.

Ariel and Emily had been best friends for years, and the moment that Ariel found out that she was dead, she wanted to be a healer. She had always wanted to avenge for her best friend's death, but she wanted to heal, like Emily wanted to.


	29. Easter Break

Easter break came around, and the group decided to go to Miami beach, in America. Alice and Frank had decided to join them as well. They all excitedly headed over there after passing their apparating tests, and enjoyed the sun and relaxation of just being together. They looked around at the beautiful beach and decided to take a swim after getting settled in. Sirius and Skye headed off to surf and swim with the dolphins, while Remus and Ariel took a walk down the beach with Frank and Alice. Lily and James stayed on the beach, laying out in the sun, and enjoying each other's company. The pair watched the sunset, Lily laying against James in an effort to feel more loved than she already knew she was. James pushed her forward to get a good look at her face. He played with her hair in his left hand, and took her face with his right. They kissed a sweet and short kiss, yet still filled with incredible love and passion. James pulled away, and looked directly into her emerald green eyes.

"I love you, Lily. I've fallen completely in love with you." She looked like she would cry, and she did. She bowed her head, and then looked back up to her handsome and sweet boyfriend.

She replied in a loving whisper, "I love you, James."

Just as they were about to go inside, they heard screaming from behind them. Remus, Ariel, Frank, Alice, Skye, and Sirius were running at them, calling about Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters, showing up in Miami.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't Potter and his little friends. Running from the Dark Lord, are we? You'd be best to just join him, or you will die."

The Marauders and the Divines looked up to see Lucius Malfoy, along with Bellatrix Black and many more death eaters standing behind Voldemort. Hexes and curses were shouted, and the group started to fight back.

"Lily! Get inside with Ariel and Alice! Make a portkey!" Remus called.

She and Ariel sprinted off, but were stopped in their tracks by Bellatrix. She glared at them, and then sent a shining green curse their way. Luckily, James and Sirius had jumped in front and used a spell to stop the green jet of light. Bellatrix fell backwards, and became stunned when 4 shots of, "Stupify!" were shot to her chest. The boys and Skye went back to fighting, and Lily went inside, quickly, to make a portkey. They heard the door slam open from the basement where they were hiding. They hid behind some boxes, and saw Remus, Frank, and Skye enter. Soon after, James and Sirius came running in. Lily motioned to an old tire that she had charmed, and they were all on their way after defying Voldemort for the first, but not last time. They had not even been on the beach for 3 hours when they had been attacked.


	30. Dumbledore

The group of 8 found their way into Dumbledore's office at Hogwarts. Shaking, they all sat and waited for their headmaster. Alice was in tears, and Frank was holding her. Luckily, no one had been really hurt. Remus had been hit with a curse that made him break out in hives, but nothing too serious happened. Dumbledore came in, already knowing what happened.

"Sit down, everyone. I know that what has happened to you today has been very traumatic. We should be very thankful that no one is badly hurt. I must warn you that Voldemort is gaining more followers. His influence in the wizarding world is growing, and this will be a dark couple of decades. Please be very cautious, and be very careful of who you trust. I know that all 8 of you can trust each other, but please be cautious. We can't have anyone else getting killed. Remus, if you'd like to head off to the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey will be happy to give you a potion for your hives."

Remus nodded and walked out of the room, only looking back to Ariel.

"Yes, Ms. McKenzie, you may go as well."

She took his hand and followed Remus out the door. Sirius and Skye also headed out to bed, as they were the ones who had the most damage done to them. They were hexed 6 different times each, and needed a Dreamless Sleep Draught to give them a good night's rest.

Now, only Alice, Frank, James, and Lily remained. Dumbledore looked at the pairs, and nodded. He let them go, praying for their safety. Never had he had a group of kids that he loved so much.


	31. Graduation

It was the end of the year, and everyone was heading off to get ready for their graduation. The girls were packing their gear, and trying to look good, while the boys whined and waited for their dates. Lily and James looked around the Heads' Room, and hugged each other while Lily's eyes started to tear up gently, and James rubbed her back.

"This has been our home all year, and Hogwarts for 7. I don't want to leave. What's going to happen, James?"

She cried gently into his chest, while he comforted her.

"Well," he said, "We'll go out into the world. We'll become aurors, and fight Voldemort until he has nothing left. Then, we'll get married and have 76 children."

Lily looked up, imagining the idea he had just placed in her head, and laughed. "I love you James Potter," She said as she kissed him.

"I love you, Lily Evans," as he kissed her back.

"But we'll go our separate ways," she said, "I don't want to move back home with my sister. After everything that's happened, I can't move back home! Where will I live?"

He looked at her sweet face and pulled it towards his. He looked her in the eye and said, "With me." She gave him a confused look to which he responded with, "I love you, Lils. I have always loved you. I have wanted you to be with me day in and day out ever since I saw you put the Sorting Hat on. I want to wake up and fall asleep with you. Lily, I love you so much…Will you-umm, Lily, w-will y-you m-marry me?"

Lily looked into his deep eyes, and he looked back into her emerald greens. She smiled at him, "I've fallen in love with the Potter's charm after all haven't I?"

She laughed. "Is that your way of saying yes?" He added hopefully.

She laughed again, and kissed him with more passion increasing with every second. "Yes, James, yes, I will marry you. But I want to wait a little while. I want to get started on being an auror, and you too. Plus, I think we should graduate!" She laughed again and hugged James.

He pulled out of his pocket small velvet box, and inside a beautiful emerald ring to match her eyes. She gasped at its beauty, and let him put it on her ring finger. They kissed, believing that there really is no place like home, as long as you're with the one you love. Nothing else existed in that moment.

"Lily!" Lily heard her name behind her. Alice ran up to her, all giddy and childlike. She looked like she was going to explode.

"What, what is it? Why are you so jumpy?" She asked with a laugh.

Alice sealed her lips and then exploded. "I'm ENGAGED! To Frank!"

Lily and she jumped up and down, followed by Skye and Ariel.

"Hey, wait a minute, Lily!" Alice exclaimed. Skye looked down at where Alice was pointing. There, sat an emerald ring on Lily's ring finger. Skye screamed and shrieked and picked Lily up. She ran to tell Sirius, who told Remus. Sirius had already run over to James, picking him up and twirling him around in his arms.

Finally, after all of the excitement of a double engagement, it was time to graduate. Everyone walked up to shake hands with Dumbledore, and to receive a certificate from the job industry. The ministry sent out letters at graduation for who would be taking which job. Lily and her friends, except for Ariel, got letters for the preparation of being an auror. Ariel got a letter for being a healer. The odd thing was, that James Potter's name was not called. He looked around in a confused state, while Dumbledore resumed the post. He looked at James, and smiled. Then, he began to speak.

"For many years have I watched students grow and learn throughout their time at this school. This year, is no different, but then again, this year is completely different from all of the rest. A dark lord is rising, and only 8 students out of this entire audience have battled with him, and lived. One of these eight, has made extraordinary progress throughout the 7 years he spent here. Not only as a person, but academically as well. I would like him to speak on behalf of what he has learned, being the top in the class and as a person, what he cherishes, and most importantly, words of advice to you all. Ladies and gentleman, James Potter."

The whole crowd cheered, with the exception of the Slytherins, and stood from their seats. James looked around before beginning to talk.

"Wow. I, uh, never thought that I would be the top in the class. I guess I'll talk to you about the main things I've learned here at Hogwarts. First, I've learned about hard work. For my first couple of years at Hogwarts, I was known as a prankster. I played pranks on the school and on friends at school throughout my career as a student here. My friends and I, the Marauders, that is Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew, had a lot of fun coming up with different pranks. Most people who stand up here would say that all of the hard work of studying paid off. But I am here to tell you, that academics are not the only things that can satisfy a person. I learned that through working hard, very hard, I could achieve complete bliss here, and I learned to call this place home. I gained friendships, great friendships, with my Marauders, and with the Divines. The Divines are girls in Gryffindor who are as much attached to each other as my group was. In the end of my sixth year, when one of the Divines, Emily Stradford, was murdered by Voldemort, I learned to be more compassionate about those that I love. Life is short, and we shouldn't take it for granted. We should live each day as if we know it's our last. These days, it could be," he added quietly.

"There's just one more thing that I would like to talk about. This school creates opportunities for many people. If I had never gotten my letter in the mail, I would not have learned any magic, and I would not be where I am today. I have an opportunity to help fight the evil in this world, alongside my better half. Lily Evans and I have been together since October. I have, however, been trying to get her to go out with me for 7 years. For 7 years, I have been in love with this girl. She made me want to be a better person, and I changed who I was, the bad part of me, to a much better person. She helped me get through tough times, and kept me grounded. I just want to say that, I love you Lily, and I can't wait to marry you."

There was a gasp from the audience and everyone began to clap. James walked straight to his beauty, and held her tightly as he kissed her passionately. Sirius, hugged his best friend, and everyone else hugged him as well. This had been the perfect day.


	32. Back to School

"Damn, I am so tired. Why are we here anyway, Skye? Moody said that Death Eaters were meeting up here, but no one's here-"

Just then, 3 death eaters apparated into the room. Immediately, Skye and Lily started shooting spells and blocking spells sent back at them.

"Stupify!" Lily yelled, and the two death eaters sending a green jet of light towards Skye fell to the ground.

"Two down!" She called.

"STOP!"

One of the death eaters seemed to be taking his hood down. From the cloak appeared Mad Eye Moody.

"MOODY! That was mean! I thought that was a real attack!"

Mad Eye just laughed, "Congratulations, ladies, you've passed your first test: Able to work spur of the moment in a calm and cool manner enough to be successful. Good work. Now if you will please revive your partners that you stunned, that would be great."

He walked out, leaving Lily and Skye to find their mates waiting for them. James looked petrified and Sirius looked like he had been laughing.

"Enervate," the laughing girls said. James and Sirius woke up, but didn't get up right away. They looked at each other, smiled, and pounced on their girls, lip-locking them until they broke apart.

"I love you, baby," Sirius was heard by James.

"I love you, Sirius," Skye said back.

Lily and James quickly left them alone to feel for each other what Lily and James felt. Now that their shift was over, Everyone headed home. James' mother, Mrs. Potter, was nice enough to let her son and future daughter-in-law (she jumped to Lily, holding her and started babbling about plans when she found out) have the west wing, while she and her husband, Mr. Potter took the east.

They walked with arms around waists, until they got upstairs. It was awfully quiet, so James went to find his parents. He came back to find Lily, panting, and told her that they had to get to Dumbledore's office right away. His eyes filled with tears and Lily's with worry, they touched the old shoe, and were off to see Dumbledore.

Dumbledore looked into a sobbing Lily Evans' eyes. Her parents, not her parents. James' parents too. This couldn't be happening. Both parents were killed in less than 5 minutes. Apparently, the Evans' had visited the Potters to talk about the wedding. Voldemort had shown up to kill two of the best aurors in the ministry, but received two surprises as well.

Lily and James went back to James' house, where James sat at the kitchen counter as Lily opened a letter that was sitting on the table. She opened the letter, expecting a letter of sorrow and grief from a friend. Instead, she received a letter from someone that she had hoped not to hear from.

_Lily, you freak, look what you did to our family! It's all because of you that our parents are dead now! If you weren't so completely abnormal then they would still be alive! I can't believe you at all. Consider yourself out of my life. I never want to see or hear from you again! I hate you more than you could ever know and I hope you go just like they had to. It's the least you could do. _

_Rot in hell, Petunia_

Lily walked to the couch, James following, and cried on his shoulder. He read the letter, then let out a sigh of pain. He held Lily closely, and cried with her into a deep sleep.

When they awoke, Sirius, Remus, Skye, Ariel, Frank, and Alice were at their house, cleaning, making food, etc. Sirius, however, was sitting next to them, and so was Skye. Remus and Ariel stayed strong for their friends, and helped make the dinner while Frank and Alice cleaned the house for them.

James, still holding Lily, spoke first. "Padfoot? What are you doing here?"

Sirius looked down, bowing his head, then, rising it up again, he spoke, "We thought we could help you get over this by being there for you. Are you okay, mate? You know this hurt me too. Your parents were like my parents, since mine don't really count. I loved them, and I know how you're feeling. We're all here for you both, mate."

One tear slid town Sirius's face as Lily allowed James to embrace his best friend. Suddenly, a thought hit Lily. "Um, Sirius, could you excuse James and I for a minute?" She looked fearful and fatigued.

"Sure, we'll meet you in the kitchen. Ariel is an amazing cook," he walked out, starting to feel a bit better after seeing James and Lily.

"Um, James, I think we should talk."

James looked at Lily, he feared the worst.

"I think that we should move the wedding up to next month. I mean, if this keeps happening, there won't be anyone to come to our wedding!"

She started bawling over the mere image of her friends dying. James held her to his chest.

"Honey, I think that's a wonderful idea. The sooner I get to be with you day in and out, the better. I love you, Lils."

He kissed her hair softly and rocked her gently. Then, a voice could be heard from the kitchen.

"Oi! Love birds! DINNER!" James and Lily laughed at Sirius and headed to the kitchen, where they were greeted with good food, great friends, and ineffable love.


	33. The Wedding

For the next month, Lily planned her wedding. James and his friends decided on the food, while Lily and hers planned the ceremony and reception. Lily noticed that Skye was acting weirder and weirder. She was very giddy, always smiling and energetic. One afternoon, Lily decided to flat out _ask_ her what was going on. They were at the Potters' house, in Lily's old room. She was trying on her wedding dress, and the girls were trying on their Bridesmaids gowns. Alice and Ariel stopped dead in their tracks when they heard,

"Okay, Skye. Fess up! What is going on! Why are you so giddy?" Lily placed her hands on her hips, and stared Skye down.

She burst open with happiness, "Sirius and I got married!"

All three girls screamed, "WHAT!" Alice seemed hurt, "Why didn't you invite us to the wedding?"

Skye smiled slyly, and told them all about their spur of the moment elope.

"Why didn't you tell us days ago, Skye? We wanted to know!"

Skye looked down, now frowning slightly. "Well, I guess because…we did it…the day before Lily and James' parents…"

She stopped there, now with a scared expression on her face. Lily grabbed her best friend, and held her tight.

"I am so proud of you. You look so happy, and I'm so happy for you."

Skye's smile returned as she told them all about the wedding night…

YOU DID WHAT?" James, Remus, and Frank yelled.

"I married her…the night before, uh, you know…"

The boys suddenly supported a huge grin. "Wow, I'm so happy for you! This is really great! Padfoot, mate, you finally found a girl that you won't dump after two weeks!" James added with a laugh.

Sirius laughed too, and they went on to talking about Sirius' wedding night…

Everyone was there. The wedding was absolutely beautiful. Everyone held their breaths as the vows were repeated. James went first.

"_My dearest Lily, for 8 years have I waited for this day. Ever since I saw you place the sorting hat on your head, I have been deeply in love with you, even at the age of 11. Over the years, I told myself that if I just waited a little bit longer, you would accept me for who I was. Just seeing your smile during the day would be like heaven was sent down to earth. Even when you were angry, anytime really, just acceptance that I was alive was enough. Over the past 2 years, you have made me happier than any man could be. You light my world, and make me feel like I can do better…and I did. I changed and grew because of you. You're the reason I am the man I am today, and I couldn't ask for more. You are the best person I have ever known, and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Lily."_

"_James, my James. For many years, I avoided you and convinced myself to not like you. I thought you arrogant, stuck-up, and annoying, and you were. I felt, myself, that I could never like you, even as a friend. But, James, you made me realize how much I needed you. After Emily died, I lost a lot of hope in this world, but you held me. I chose to forget the incident, hoping I would heal to hate you once again…but I couldn't. I constantly dreamed of that night, and I will never be able to forget that. In our 7th year of school, you showed me what a gentleman you could be, and how to love and to live. James, I fell in love with you from our first kiss. Our first real kiss in the dormitory of the Heads' room. You took my breath away, and I know that I want to live my life with you. You've shown me how to love, even in the worst of times when I feel all love is lost. Thank you for teaching me, James, loving me, and treating me well. I love you, James."_

Once the couple ran to the reception, cheers broke out. The reception consisted of dancing, dinner, and the sheer joy of being with friends, old and new. Dumbledore greeted them all, and hugged Lily. He asked her to dance during the father-daughter dance. Lily smiled, a tear dropping down her face. During the wedding, both Skye and Alice were seen jumping up and down. Lily quickly found them to see what was so important now.

"What's going on, girls?" She asked, smiling.

They looked at her, then at each other, and then said at the same time, "We're pregnant!" Lily and Ariel jumped up and down, experiencing the most perfect afternoon.

"How long?" Ariel asked both of them.

"Well I'm just two and a half weeks! I've got a long way to go!" Alice said laughing.

They all looked to Skye, who replied happily, "I'm three and a half months! I started to show recently, and I had to find out why! I was afraid that I was getting to be a fat, old woman!"

Suddenly, the slow song the Weird Sisters were singing, stopped. Everyone looked to the stage to see the Weird Sisters had gone (apparating), and Death Eaters emerging to the stage.

Those who could not battle, fled by apparating. The new Aurors, along with Professors and skilled witches and wizards, stayed to fight in the battle.

Voldemort emerged, and prepared to fight to the death – everyone else's death, that is. He started with Sirius and Skye, who had just recently become pregnant. Skye, Alice, and Ariel apparated as quickly as they could, leaving the rest to Lily and the Marauders.

Lily fought Bellatrix, and just as a jet of red light shot at her, James shot a counter spell. Lily gave a quick smile as a thank you, and he returned it. The next thing Lily saw was a magenta spell shot at James and Remus.

"STUPIFY!" Voldemort had yelled.

Sirius and Frank were left alone, what could they do? Sirius, out of the corner of his eye, saw Peter hiding in the bushes. Peter, the man that had basically deserted them. He was around, but they didn't hang out half as much as they used to.

Peter muttered, "Ennervate," to James and Remus, who stirred quickly.

Voldemort, in shock, did nothing. Instead, he taunted them.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Potter, the werewolf, the Auror, and BLACK. Sirius, isn't it? I just love your cousin, a very _loyal_ girl, she is. Now you can either die quickly, or get up to fight, it's your choice. Immediately following, all four boys sent four different spells straight to Voldemort.

"STUPIFY! INPEDIMENTA! PETRIFICUS TOTALUS! TARANTELLEGRA!"

Voldemort dodged them all, and looked back at the 19 and 20 year olds standing up at him. Suddenly, there was a _Pop_! And Dumbledore appeared. He looked particularly grave, and very angry. Voldemort instantly fled, leaving Dumbledore to deal with other pressing matters.


	34. The Prophecy

James left the wedding to find his bride waiting frantically for him back at the Potter mansion.

"JAMES! You're okay!" She cried, hugging and kissing her _husband_. "Lily, darling, I'm so sorry about all of this. I guess the wedding didn't turn out like we planned, huh?"

"On the contrary, no one was hurt, that I know of at least, and here you are, ready for our wedding night…" She eyed him in a most seducing way. "Oh, really?" He said back to her. He picked up his beautiful bride, and led her to the honeymoon suite just down the hall. They spent an amazing first night together as husband and wife.

About a month after the wedding and Death Eater attack, the whole gang got together to eat dinner at a nice restaurant in Hogsmeade. They all looked up from their laughter to see a grave face on their friend and mentor, Albus Dumbledore. "James, Lily, Alice, and Frank, would you please meet me in my office? Thank you." And he was gone.

The two couples entered the office with scared faces.

"Sit down," Dumbledore's grave face told them that the news he was to give them would not be good. He first looked at the Longbottoms, their faces very grave.

"I assume the information I have gathered is correct? You're expecting?"

Normally, this would be very happy news, but under the circumstances, and the missing twinkle from an old man's eye, this seemed to be very bad news.

"Is there something wrong with my baby?" Alice asked timidly.

"Not that I know of," he replied. "But I am here to discuss with you four a, ah, prediction, that was made earlier this evening. You see I am looking for a new Divination teacher. Of course, it is against my will that the subject continues at all, however, the ministry is insistent. Anyway, while interviewing this young woman, she made a grave prophecy. I have the complete prophecy here," he mentioned, pulling out his pensieve.

The two couples watched in awe, as Sibyl Trelawney rotated around the table, speaking in a threatening tone:

_"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches ... Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies ... And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not ... And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives ... The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._"

"I understand the prophecy, sir, but what does that have to do with all of us?" Lily asked her old professor.

Dumbledore looked at the four of them, and said to them, "If my calculations are correct, I expect that your baby is due in July, Mrs. Longbottom?" Alice nodded weakly. "As for you two," Dumbledore motioned, looking to James and Lily, "I-" But Lily cut in.

"Am I pregnant too, Albus?" Lily looked very scared and weary.

"As far as I know Mrs. Potter, no. But, this prophecy does relate to you both almost completely. You are newly weds and you've defied him twice, yes?" James looked down. Dumbledore noticed.

"James? Tell me."

James looked at Dumbledore and started to explain that, "There was an attack in Hogsmeade a couple of weeks ago. We were all leaving dinner, when he and his Death Eaters attacked again. We didn't want to worry you more, so we kept it to ourselves. Not to mention, our parents died a couple of days later, and we just forgot that it happened…" He said, fading off.

"So, three times then. Wow. Well, I assume, Mr. and Mrs. Potter that there is a chance of this prophecy applying to you. Alice, there is no reason to not tell anyone that you are pregnant. To you both, just be cautious if you tell anyone about the prophecy. I am pretty sure that Voldemort hasn't a clue of this prophecy, and if he does, he doesn't know much. I warn you to be careful,"

He nodded to the 2 pairs and they got up to apparate.

"Oh, and Mrs. Longbottom?" He called, suddenly with a twinkle in his eye, "Congratulations on the baby."


	35. Surprises

Lily Potter lay wide awake in her bed in the Potter mansion on a cold February evening. She lay against her husband, James' chest as he slept soundly. A wave of nausea swept over her, and she started running to the bathroom. Once there, she kneeled on the floor and threw up in the toilet. It took about 20 minutes for her to stop heaving, by which time she had almost passed out. James woke up to a heaving noise followed by coughing from the bathroom next to their suite in the Potter mansion. He rushed to the bathroom, after discovering his wife missing, and arrived just in time to grab her before she passed out on the bathroom floor of fatigue. He carried her back to the bed, and laid her down gently. 'No fever, I wonder what's wrong…' He stayed up the rest of the night to make sure she got proper care. She slept soundly until the next morning, when she woke up to more throwing up. When she finished, she drank some water, and leaned up against the cabinet in the bathroom while James stroked her hair.

"Baby, what's going on? Why are you vomiting all of the time now?" She looked at him weakly, and just started to cry. He held her, confusedly, and waited for her to calm down.

"James? Can you take me to the couch? I just want to lie down."

James smiled slightly at his wife. "Sure, baby," he muttered as he attempted to pick her up. He carried her from the bathroom to the couch, and accidentally blurted out the worst thing you could say to a woman.

"Wow, have you gained weight?" That's when Lily realized something.

She quickly said, "I think I'm going to go see Ariel." She apparated quickly to Ariel and Remus' flat (they had married the previous year). Remus saw her as he walked to the kitchen and ran up to hug her. She was very pale and weak, and could barely think straight.

"Are you okay, Lily? You don't look too good…I'll go get Ariel." She nodded her okay, and waited on the couch in their living room. Ariel came in and hugged her friend.

"Hi, honey! How are you – Oh. Not too good I see. What's bothering you? And, Lil, have you gained weight? You look bigger and flushed." Lily looked at her friend, attempting to ignore the beefy comment.

She told her friend the healer about her problem, "And I just keep throwing up. I'm also becoming more and more emotional." She looked down.

Ariel smiled slightly and asked, "Lily? Did anything else weird happen recently?"

Lily placed her finger on her chin, and then remembered, "Oh, yes, now I remember. Yesterday I had this weird craving for pecan pie with apples on top, coated in peanut butter-"

Ariel screamed. Lily looked frightened and confused. "Lily, honey, don't you understand?" Ariel smiled hugely while Remus walked into the room and stood in the doorway, unnoticed. "Lily, you're pregnant! This is wonderful!"

Remus entered, glowing. "Pregnant! Oh, Lily, congratulations!" Remus and Ariel hugged her, and she just stared into space. She said thank you to her friends indifferently, and disapparated home.

James was pacing in the study, going nuts over books, trying to figure out what was wrong with his wife. She opened the door carefully, and walked up to him. He turned around, but before he could say anything, she embraced him in a large hug.

"Honey, are you okay? I've been so worried about you? What did Ariel say?"

'He looks so scared,' Lily thought, 'Better now than later.'

She started to tell James what Ariel had said. "James? What I'm about to tell you, is very bad news. I mean it's wonderful, but it's terrible. Now? Why now? James, the reason I've been so sick is, well, James, I-I'm p-p-pr-pregnant."

James' face suddenly stretched into a huge smile. He picked up his beautiful wife and spun her in his arms. He kissed her, passionately. They somehow ended up on the bed in their room, still kissing. James pulled back, "I love you so much, Lils. This is wonderful. We're going to be parents! Honey, why on earth would this be terrible-"

James stopped dead in his words. He suddenly remembered Dumbledore. "Let's go," she said. Five seconds later, they were standing in front of Albus Dumbledore, in his office at Hogwarts.

James! Lily! I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Mrs. Lupin sent an owl. First, I want to offer my congratulations. You are indeed expecting, then, Mrs. Potter?" Lily nodded, holding her already growing front, and leaning against James.

"Ah. You're worried about Voldemort? Just as I told the Longbottoms, you just must be cautious. When are you due?"

James looked down to Lily, who replied, "Ariel mentioned something about the middle of August. I guess that's good news, it's 2 weeks away from the mentioned date," she said, her attitude perking up.

"Yes, good. Well, be careful, but please, share the joy! You are going to have a child, Lily. You will be a mother in less than half of a year. Be happy!"

Dumbledore said brightly. Lily smiled, and James kissed his beautiful wife. Her emerald green eyes shown love towards him, and the next thing the two knew, they were asleep in each other's arms, happily in love, and excited about their upcoming family.

Spring came around, and Skye was becoming more and more pregnant. She was positively glowing! The girls, with Sirius' help, decided to throw her a surprise baby shower. However, the party had only just started when Skye fell to her knees. Everyone cheered as she headed off to the hospital, in preparation for her childbirth. The Divines and Marauders closely followed, excited to see the new child. Skye had always been a strong girl, very strong, with a lot of love to offer the world. Three hours later, screaming was heard from all over the hospital. Skye was in a great deal of pain, but Sirius helped her through it. Right before the contraction that would help her baby to come out into the world, Sirius planted a luscious kiss on his wife. She became very relaxed and strong after that. In just 30 short seconds, she held a baby girl in her tender arms, and a husband on her side kissing her profusely. She looked down at her baby girl, and cried in happiness. Neither she nor Sirius had ever been so happy.

"Oh, Skye, she's beautiful. Thank you for making me a father. I love you, baby."

Skye smiled and kissed her husband, "I love you too, Sirius."

Lily, James, Remus, Alice, and Frank came in to see Skye's new baby. Ariel had been helping her deliver, so she went back to work with another delivery. "What are you going to name her?" Remus asked as he kissed Skye on the cheek.

"Well, Sirius and I have talked about it a little bit," she said. She looked to Sirius, who nodded to his wife and took her hand, kissing it lovingly.

"Okay," she whispered. "We've decided to name her…_Emily_."

There was a gasp from the door frame, and Ariel hugged Skye as she wept. "_Thank you, Skye. You have no idea_-" she started, but Skye hushed her.

She kissed her friend on the forehead, and said, "This way, she'll always be remembered."

If anyone were to look into that hospital room at that very moment, they would see every single person holding each other's hands as tears flew down their cheeks.


	36. Four Minutes

After a day of peaceful rest, Skye and Sirius headed home with Emily. Sirius never left her side, until he had to go back to work to make a living for his wife and daughter. He would drop by every time that he had a 15 minute break. He missed his wife and daughter, hating terribly that he had to be away from them.

Meanwhile, Lily was taking time off for her pregnancy. All was going well, and she was expected to go into delivery in August.

On the night on July 31, Lily was sitting comfortably on the luxury chair in the den, reading. '…She loved getting burned so much, that she allowed herself to get caught no less than 37 times in various disguises…owe. Owe! What? What is happening…owe! Oh, Merlin. James? James? At work, must get help…' Lily allowed herself to apparate to St. Mungo's hospital. When she looked up, she saw Ariel rushing towards her.

"Lily! Honey, are you okay? Oh…oh…you're having the baby! Ok, ok, it's ok, honey, breath, let's get you to a room, okay? Where's James?"

Lily looked up, panting, and had to stop every few seconds as the two walked to a hospital room. "W-work," Lily got out.

"Oh no! He doesn't even know that he's about to have a new baby! Listen, here, get settled, I'll send in Marina, she's great. I'll be right back. I'm going to get James!" She disappeared behind the door, leaving Lily breathless and scared.

'Hurry, Ariel,' she thought. Once again, she felt a surge of pain throughout her middle, and let out a scream.

Ariel apparated to the Auror's office. She only hoped there weren't any more attacks and that James would be there. She looked completely out of place in her Healer's uniform, but she didn't care. She shuffled along the rows, looking in the offices for any sign of James Potter. She turned a left corner, and heard a loud laugh. She followed it, and found Sirius and James laughing at a joke that Remus had just told. Out of breath, she opened the door, and panted. Remus got up quickly, reaching out his hand.

"Baby, what's wrong?" James and Sirius got up too, scared that someone had died.

"James – Lily – baby…" She muttered, still panting.

"OMIGOSH! Lily's having the baby? I've got to get to her!" James apparated to St. Mungo's to comfort his wife.

Remus and Sirius were grinning all over. Sirius left to go get Skye and the baby, and Remus followed Ariel back to the hospital.

Ariel hurried back to Lily's room to find James comforting his screaming wife. Marina was busy giving Lily some potions to help ease the pain. She took deep breaths and started to calm down a little bit.

"ARIEL!" Lily screamed. Ariel rushed over to her, and started to fix everything up for the childbirth. James stroked Lily's head, which was dripping with sweat. Ariel cast a charm over Lily's front, and saw a faint blue mist. The mist was becoming fainter and fainter, and then it disappeared. Ariel looked to her friend, and smiled.

"Lily, this is the one. You'll be fine. In just 5 minutes time, you'll be holding your new child."

Lily looked to James for support, who offered his hand and a kiss on the mouth before Lily began to wail.

"Argh," Skye said, pacing up and down with Emily in her arm. "It didn't take _me_ this long to have Emily. What is taking her so long?"

Sirius, who was sitting patiently next to Remus, laughed at his wife. He got up, put on a serious face, and took Emily from her.

"C'mon, Skye, you're going to scare the baby. Come and sit down, I'm sure she'll be out soon-"

With those last words, Ariel came through the double doors that led to Lily's room. Everyone got up, and rushed to see her.

"She's fine," Ariel said, leading them all back to Lil's room, "She's really tired, Lily I mean. It's a boy. He's adorable."

They entered the room to discover a much thinner Lily holding a small, black haired boy. James was sitting upright, leaning against the pillows next to Lily.

Lily sighed of fatigue when her friends walked into the room. "Hey, guys!"

Everyone looked at the baby, Lily, James, and back at the little boy. Skye brought 3 month old Emily near the boy. "Look, Em, it's your future husband. What's his name, Lils?"

James, who hadn't said a word yet, looked over at Lily. She had closed her eyes, not asleep, but just in happiness. He answered Skye's question.

"His name is Harry James Potter! He's going to be just like his daddy," James said, levitating his son in the air with his wand. Lily's eyes shot open, scolding her husband.

"JAMES POTTER! PUT MY SON DOWN, NOW!"

Everyone laughed when James whispered, "It's just pre-Quidditch training," he said with a smile.

"This was a really close call," Sirius mentioned. "You know, Lily, I think that you're pretty lucky. With Alice and Frank's kid being born last week, and yours being born right after midnight, I'm pretty positive that you don't have to worry about that prophecy."

"Mrs. Potter? I just wanted to show you your son's birth certificate and ask you where to put it. We can send it to Gringotts, keep it in our own personal records, or you could just take it home. Decide and let me know," Marina said, walking out of the room, just as Ariel walked back in. Lily looked at the certificate, and read aloud:

"Harry James Potter, born to the parents of Lillian Marie Evans and James Issac Potter, born on -," Lily paused, a smile fading from her face.

"Lily? Are you okay? Lils?" James cast a worried look upon his face, then looked over to the parchment to read with her. His eyes dropped.

Lily continued reading, tears forming in her emerald green eyes. "…born on J-July 31st, 11:56 pm at St. Mungo's Healing Center."

No one spoke. James took Lily in his arms, and rocked her gently. Lily looked down at her boy, her 7 minute old boy, who suddenly had a very tragic life ahead of him. She let tears slide silently down her face as she continued to stare at Harry. He looked up to her, and then closed his eyes as he lay against her breast. Everyone came closer to the couple, comforting them, knowing that either Harry would kill Voldemort, or Voldemort…Voldemort would kill Harry…in the end.


	37. Hiding

Remus and Ariel quietly comforted their friends, Lily and James. They were both asleep, but Remus and Ariel wanted to be by their side in case they woke up feeling alone. Everyone else had gone home, sadly, leaving Lily and James to sulk. The door to Lily's room opened and Dumbledore slid in. He took Harry in his arms, and rocked him back and forth. Lily stirred, and woke James. They stared at Dumbledore rocking their little boy. He didn't look up, but knew they were awake now.

"Lily, James, he's beautiful. He has quite a future ahead of him. I think, that to best make sure that future stays intact, that we have you go into hiding. I don't want anything to happen to you. You'll need to pick a secret keeper to guard your house. I assume that will be our Mr. Black?" Albus Dumbledore finally looked up, a twinkle in his eye.

"Actually, Albus, we were hoping that _you_ would be our secret keeper," Lily adjusted herself on the bed and looked to James, who nodded, as she spoke.

Dumbledore let out a quick sigh and smile, but in the end made his decision. "I figured that you would ask Mr. Black. Of course, I would like to be your secret keeper, but I feel that your faith is better kept in Mr. Black. He is your most loyal and trusted friend between the both of you."

Lily and James nodded, taking their son back into their arms. Dumbledore looked to Ariel and Remus, who were struggling to keep their eyes open.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lupin, why don't you come with me? You need rest. The Potters will be just fine."

They nodded and followed him out of the room, waving goodbye to their friends, who quickly fell into a dreamless sleep.

It had been exactly 11 months since Harry had been born. Lily and James were very happy.

"Good morning, sweetheart," James said, kissing his wife on the forehead. She woke from the rocking chair in Harry's room, in a very achy state. "Come on, get dressed. I'll get Harry up."

"Where are we going?" Lily asked, yawning.

"For a walk. Now come on, shower, hair, let's go!" By this time, James had a wide awake Harry in his arms. Harry smiled and bounced in his father's arms.

A half hour later, Lily, James, and Harry were on their way to the park. They stopped at the very top of a short hill. James conjured up a blanket, and the three sat down.

"I wish we had brought some lunch," Lily said, her stomach grumbling. "It's not fair, Harry gets to eat whenever he wants!"

James laughed, "You really think I would leave my baby hungry?"

"I don't think I need any help feeding him, dear."

"No, Lils, I meant you!" With that remark, he conjured up a picnic basket with all of Lily's favorite foods. Lily squealed and hugged her husband.

After about 20 minutes, all of the food was gone. Harry had started to point to something in the distance. Lily, taking her last bite, looked to where her son was pointing.

"James, what's all of that smoke?"

"Oh, Merlin! The whole town's on fire!"

"Is there anything we can do?" Lily put a worried face on, and started to get up, but sat back down when Harry yelled for her.

"I don't think so, honey," The fire itself had died down. They listened carefully, but didn't hear any screaming. It seemed that no one survived. Harry started crying when he saw a green skull had appeared in the sky above the town. Lily gasped when she looked up, as did James.

"I think we should get home, dear," James and Lily quickly vanished their blanket and basket, picked Harry up, and apparated home.

Just as they arrived home, Dumbledore, Sirius, and Peter knocked on the door.

"I've come to put you in hiding. Because of recent events, I feel it is no longer safe to put this off. Mr. Black, are you ready?"

Sirius shook his head, and walked over to the Potters. "Peter should be your Secret Keeper. I'm the most obvious choice. Voldemort will never suspect Peter. You know he won't, James."

"Sirius, you know that I trust you with my life…" James started.

"And you know that I'd never say a word. But—but if they find me and they somehow find out where you are…I couldn't live with myself…" Sirius looked scared.  
Peter nodded, "It's the perfect plan, James. Voldemort will never suspect me. Sirius is your best mate. Voldemort will automatically assume that you will choose him."

James seemed to think about this for a long time. 'Please don't, James,' Lily prayed.

'Lily,' James seemed to be trying to reason with her, "It makes perfect sense. Sirius and Peter are right. We need to keep Harry safe. You want to protect him, don't you?"

'Oh,' Lily breathed heavily, this guilt seemingly too familiar. 'I've been here before. Don't you dare do this to me, James. Don't you dare make me choose.'

"James, please…I couldn't bear it." Sirius was nearly hysterical at this point He reached for Lily, wanting to hold her, comfort her. 'I promise it'll be okay,' he wants to reassure her.

Lily shrugged, finally admitting defeat. Dumbledore nodded and performed the charm.


	38. Betrayal

About a month after the charm was placed on their house, Lily and James were eating dinner. They talked about work, and laughed as their son spit up every ounce of food possible. There was suddenly a knock on the door.

"I'll get it," James said as Lily started to get up. "I'm sure it's just Sirius asking for food again. I hear Skye isn't the best cook!" Lily laughed as he walked out of the room. She went to her little boy, picked him up, and started to burp him. Then she heard the door slam, and her husband yelling to her.

James went to the door and opened it. Outside on the porch was a middle-aged man with neat black hair that came below his ears, sharp pale features, and a tall, slight build. He was draped in an inky black shimmering robe that pooled around his feet. But what stood out the most were the blazing crimson cat-like eyes of Lord Voldemort. James eyes bulged and he slammed the door in the Dark Lord's face. He frantically cast all the locking charms he knew.

"Lily, take Harry and go! It's him! Go! Run! I'll hold him off!" yelled James. He swore as the door was blasted off the hinges.

Voldemort laughed his cold, high-pitched laugh.

"Potter" He sneered.

"You'll never get to them." James said, raising his wand.

Voldemort raised his eyebrows, amused, "Take a good look Potter, because this is the last thing you will ever see..."

James threw a stunning spell at Voldemort, who avoided it expertly. Then, not even five seconds after that, Voldemort raised his wand.

"Crucio!"  
James threw himself to the side and narrowly avoided the curse.

"Expelliarmus!" He said, getting up quickly.

Voldemort conjured a shield out of nowhere and the spell rebounded upon James, who was sent flying into a wall.

He cursed and ran towards his wand, going in odd angles to avoid the various killing curses being sent at him. He grabbed his wand and pointed to a spot in front of Voldemort, "Flamora!"

Fire appeared in a great circle around the Dark Lord, who dissapparated and apparated outside of the circle.

"Idiot." Voldemort said, "You shall never win."

"Mobiliarbus!" James said, pointing at the table and the chairs, all of which moved towards Voldemort.

"Diffindo!" Voldemort said, and they all burst apart.

He turned to James quickly, "Incarcerous!"

James was caught off guard, and as the ropes binded him, he lost balance and fell.

Voldemort walked slowly towards him. When he reached him, he raised his wand again, "Crucio!"

James yelled as pain cursed through his body. Voldemort laughed heartlessly and lifted the curse.

"Take a good look at death, Potter." He whispered, his scarlet eyes gleaming maliciously.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!"

Lily, holding tightly to Harry in her arms, mad dash for the nursery where an emergency portkey was hidden. She heard muffled shouts coming from downstairs as she searched frantically around the nursery. A burst of green light. A loud thump.

'Oh, God! James is dead! Oh my God!' she barely noticed the tears run down her cheeks. She knew in the back of her mind that James wasn't going to make it the minute he shouted for her to take Harry and run. She hugged Harry to her chest more tightly and looked down at her son.

The door exploded, its splinters spreading all over the room. Lily's eyes widened and she lost her balance while reaching for the portkey on the high shelf. She fell to her knees in front of the tall man, body hunched over her son.

"Right where you should be, Mudblood! Give me the boy and you'll live," sneered Voldemort as he raked his eyes over her beautiful form.

"Not Harry, not Harry, please not Harry!" pleaded Lily as tears streamed down her face harder. 'I lost James. I'm not going to lose Harry,' she thought as she glared at the sneering man before her.

"Stand aside, you silly girl, stand aside, now!" he said glaring back.

"Not Harry, please no, take me instead..." Lily smirked mentally as she whispered something under her breath. Now all he had to do is take the bait. "I said stand aside!"

"Not Harry! Please... have mercy...have mercy..."

Time seemed to slow down as green light engulfed Lily's delicate form. She slumped sideways, her eyes wide open and a smug smirk on her face.

Voldemort turned on the silent toddler. He toed the boy away from his dead mother and aimed his wand with a flourish.

"A mere half-blood, destroy the great Lord Voldemort? I think not." He said, raising his wand.

"Good-bye, Harry." He said, smiling maliciously. He pointed his wand at Harry and performed the curse. The curse that was to destroy the young baby before him. The curse that had destroyed so many other people...

"_Avada Kedavra_!"

And then...there was a flash of green light, and a yell. Voldemort was thrown back, and his eyes widened in shock as he witnessed what was happening.   
The spell was hovering above the baby, who remained unharmed. The green light then became smaller, as it traced an odd shape in young Harry's forehead. Voldemort stood up, and stared. Just how powerful was this baby that the Avada Kedavra did not work on him?

The light then became black, and it glided towards the tall, snakelike figure that was Voldemort. Without warning, it hit him, and he felt as though all the life he posessed was being sucked out of him. He gasped for breath, not comprehending what was happening.

And then, the light faded. The Dark Lord stood there on the floor of the attic of James and Lily Potter's house, barely alive. He turned to Harry Potter, the boy who was to vanquish him; the boy that had nearly succeeded in destroying him.

"We shall meet again, Harry Potter. And when we do...you will not live to speak the tale..."


	39. Discoveries

Luckily, Godric's hollow was occupied by a wizarding family to watch over the Potters in case something happened. Mr. and Mrs. Gairner were taking a late night walk when they spotted the green skull above the Potters' house. They immediately apparated to Dumbledore's office.

"DUMBLEDORE!" They roared throughout the office. He appeared instantly, and upon seeing their faces, let a tear fall down his face.

"Are they all dead?" He asked, stricken.

"We don't know. We saw the sign and apparated straight here," Mr. Gairner said.

"Okay, do this for me. I need Hagrid to go over there, as I have some favors for him. Go get him from his hut on the grounds, and tell him that I have set up a portkey in my office. Please hurry. I'm going to see to the Potter home."

The three instantly split apart, off to do their separate duties. The house was untouched, from what Albus Dumbledore could see. He went into the front door, not seeing anything but a bunch of broken household items. He followed the trail, and found James lying on his side near the stairs. He quickly went over to him, touched his hand to James' chest, as to make sure he was truly gone. He felt no heartbeat. As a tear slid down his face, he noticed the expression on this face. He was smiling. Dumbledore looked closer, and saw a picture frame in his arms. The photo was a picture of James, Lily, and Harry. Lily held tightly to her son while her husband wrapped his arms around the two, kissing her on the cheek. Dumbledore sadly walked away from James' dead body to the dining room. He found two platefuls of food, and one highchair with spit up food everywhere. Lily and Harry were nowhere to be found. He looked everywhere downstairs before going to the nursery on the floor above. As he walked up the stairs, slowly, he thought he heard crying. He had a sudden feeling of hope as he quickened his pace. He opened the door to the nursery to find a black cloak filled with different killing potions and such near the crib. Lily Potter was lying on the carpet, next to Harry's crib. Harry was on the floor behind her, shaking his mother's dead hand and crying profusely. He had a large, lightening shaped scar on his forehead, but Dumbledore dismissed the matter for the moment. He already understood what had happened. He watched Harry as he turned when he heard the door open, and hugged his mother before reaching his hands up to the old man. Albus Dumbledore took the young boy in his arms and hugged him. Harry calmed down, but Albus could tell that he was very upset, and that he understood what had happened to his mother. Albus used a levitating charm on Lily, and carried Harry down the stairs with his mother following. When they arrived downstairs, Albus noticed Hagrid crying next to James' dead body. He levitated Lily to the floor, next to her husband. He set Harry down in between his parents, giving him time to say goodbye. Harry looked to his father first. He shook his hand, like he did to his mother. He then crawled closer to his father, and patting his face. He started crying, silently. Hagrid took a step forward to grab him, but Dumbledore put up his hand to stop him. Harry looked back at the two, then back at his father. He picked up the picture frame that his father was holding. He looked at the picture, crying, and remembered how his father would levitate him up into the air, and would make him laugh, then bring him back down and tickle him. He would remember how his father would come into the room and talk to him. Of course, Harry, being only a year old, couldn't understand everything his father was saying to him. He gave him a kiss on his cheek, and hugged him in remembrance. He then turned to his mother: the mother that had brought him into this world, the mother that fed him, rocked him to sleep, and loved him. He would miss her a lot. He hugged and kissed her cheek. Harry looked from his mother to his father, from his father to his mother, and then to Dumbledore and Hagrid. Harry was bawling now, and reached his hands up to Dumbledore. He wouldn't let go of the picture frame. Sirius, then, ran into the house. He looked at Dumbledore with Harry and Hagrid, and then saw the two bodies at their feet. He first gave Harry a kiss on the forehead, and then ran straight to Lily and James. He put one hand each on their hearts, and pulled them close to him. He cried, silently, holding his friends close. He went to James.

"James, mate, why? Why did I ever let Peter get to me? That bastard sold you out, I wanted you to know. I will never forgive myself for what I have done. I should never have trusted that git, man. Please, please don't let this be real. James, mate, I'm so sorry. I wish I had been the secret keeper and not let you and-" he looked to Lily, then back to James, and continued, "Lily…I loved you James. You were my best friend, mate, and I will never forget you. As Harry's godfather, I will make sure that he grows up remembering you both. You were both amazing parents, and in your memory I will raise him. Goodbye, James. You were the best friend a guy could ever have."

Sirius wiped his face on his sleeve. Then, he turned to Lily. He continued crying while he held her cold hands.

"Lily, God, Lily, Lily, Lily, Lily. For years I watched as James chased after you. He never gave up. He would sulk every summer, just hoping to get so much as a letter from you. When he never did, that made him more determined to get you. I know that we all had some rough times, with the hexing of Snivellus, and sneaking out, but, Lily, I know you. You never gave up on him either. I know you acted like you hated him, but you never could. Underneath all of our naïve ways, we were mature, and you saw this in James, especially in our seventh year. When you guys got together, all I could fell was sheer joy for James. After how hard he worked to get you, you finally came to him. It made me happy just to see him happy. James was my best friend, and there wasn't any other girl that could ever satisfy him with their smile than you could. You and I were never extremely close like James and I, and I regret not treating you like a friend should sometimes. I am eternally sorry for what I have done to you both. You know that I would have never betrayed you…I am so sorry for even thinking that I couldn't have done the job. Please, if you never forgive me I understand, but I want you to know that I loved you both and I would have never, ever, done this if I knew that you would both end up…Well, Lily. I will miss you so much. You were a great friend, and an amazing wife for James. You were the best mother Harry could have asked for, and I will be sure to take care of him. Goodbye Lily. I'll never, ever forget you."

Sirius kissed her on the cheek, letting his tears fall onto her skin. He pulled in James and Lily for a final hug, then broke down in tears again. Dumbledore gave Harry to Sirius to let him hug his grandson.

"Harry, I promise, I will never let anything happen to you. Albus, How did he live? Wouldn't V-V-Voldemort have wanted to kill him as well?"

Sirius hugged Harry tightly, then traced his scar with his finger, confused. He looked at Dumbledore for an answer. He tossed his head to the left as if the matter were simple enough to understand by his scar.

"Well, Sirius, I assume you remember when Professor Flitwick told you about the strongest form of protection that a person can have against an unforgivable curse?"

Sirius looked to Dumbledore again, very confused. He understood not what Dumbledore meant. It had been a while since he had even been back at school, much less learnt anything there.

Dumbledore, in no surprise that Sirius remembered so little, continued, "The strongest form of protection has been used against our young Harry. Lily loved Harry, and stood in front of Voldemort to protect her son. I assume that she knew what was to happen, and she knew that she could protect him as long as she died as a martyr to him. That's the only way a small boy could have lived through a powerful spell and wizard. Do you see the scar on his forehead? That's where it all happened. Harry will have the memory of this night by that scar for the rest of his life. And because the curse failed to hit Harry, the spell would have automatically tried to go backwards towards the sender. If I'm not mistaken, I believe that the Dark Lord has been defeated by this young child. I found his cloak and deadly potions upstairs near where I found Lily and Harry."

"Does that mean that, Voldemort is dead?" Sirius' face lightened slightly, but quickly fell again at Albus' response.

"I'm afraid, Sirius, that may not be the case. Voldemort could still be out there, waiting to gain back his energy and power. For a while though, we will be much safer. His Death Eaters are still at large, and I'm sure they know of his defeat. Just because Voldemort is gone, doesn't mean that there aren't others just like him. We need to be cautious of the Death Eaters that try to carry on for him."

Dumbledore watched Sirius hug his godson. "Well I must get going. I need inform the _Daily Prophet_ of this news. Sirius, I do not think that Harry should live with you. I know that you would love to have him with you and Skye, and certainly Emily, but I'm afraid that that will endanger your family as well. Also, Harry is better growing up away from the wizarding world. He will be famous, I'm sure, for his defeat of the man who killed and hurt so many people in our world. Hagrid will take him to his Aunt and Uncle's house, his last remaining family. Hagrid, I have something I need to take care of, could you please take him to Number Four, Privet Drive, in Little Whinging. I will meet you there."

Sirius' face fell in disappointment. He had just promised his friends that he would take care and raise their son. Dumbledore was right though, he didn't want to put his family in danger. "Hagrid, I have my motorbike outside. It can fly, and since you can't apparate, how about you use that?"

"That's a wonderful idea, thank you Sirius." Dumbledore was very proud of Sirius for staying so strong though this rough time. He and Hagrid walked out of the door. Dumbledore kneeled next to Lily and James. He needed to have his words before they truly died to him.

"Hagrid, it's over here," Sirius said, leading the way to his flying motorbike in an alleyway a little ways away from the Potter home.

"Thanks, Sirius. Look, I know yeh goin' a have a hard time an' all, so if yeh need, yeh can come by an' talk er whatnot."

"Thanks, Hagrid. Look, I need to get home to Skye and Emily, they haven't heard the news yet. Just bring the bike back after you drop off Harry, okay?"

Hagrid nodded and was off into the sky. Sirius watched him off, then started walking down the street. It was near 10 now, and because it was a warm night, there were many muggles on the street walking around. Sirius suddenly, lose in his thoughts, bumped into someone, who fell over. Sirius attempted to help the chubby man, who had been waddling down the street quickly towards what looked like the Potters' home. Sirius took his hand back the instant that he saw who it was.

"PETER PETTIGREW!"

Peter quickly looked up, realizing who he had run into.

"You sniveling scum." Sirius spat. "Lily and James, Peter, how could you?" Peter's eyes widened, in fright.

"How could I?" Peter yelled. Several muggles turned to look. "Lily and James? Me? Lily and James, Sirius, how could _you_? You told me that I should be the secret keeper! You KILLED them!" Sirius' face looked stunned.

"It's finally sinking in, isn't it, Black?" Peter said, spitting Sirius' surname out like poison. "What you did to your friends?" Sirius glared at Peter with the utmost hatred.  
"I would NEVER betray them! YOU were the one who sold them out to Voldemort!" croaked Sirius, still gazing at him that way. It seemed that was all Peter really needed. He snatched out his wand, and pointed it at Sirius.  
"Goodbye, Sirius. Avada Kedavra!" Time seemed to stop. Instead of a bright green light that should've spouted from the wand, a deep navy blue twisted its way around, and Peter registered in astonished surprise that the beam was headed for him.

Time chose this moment to speed up, and Peter quickly transformed. Right before he transformed, he cut off part of his finger, to fake his own death. He felt immense pain in his finger, and then it was gone. He dropped down, low into rat form. And he came face to face with his severed finger. Peter's beady black rat eyes widened, and he backed away.

Suddenly, a huge bang bounced around above Peter's head, and he looked up. his wand had shot a wave of blue beam in all directions. Peter ran as fast as his legs could carry him, towards, the sewer, he slid in—and when he chanced a small glance at the street he had left behind, all he saw was blue.

Peter, you have betrayed them.

As Peter looked once more to the blue storm of the street he had left, he could only agree morosely with the voice. He had betrayed them. But at least Sirius would get what he deserved.

With that, Peter scurried through the sewer pipes, until he came to another grate. There, he slipped out and concentrated on becoming himself again. But the changes didn't come. Peter tried many times, and failed. He had become stuck, the one thing that was warned to all Animagi when they registered. Never involve your animalian self in a curse, or risk becoming stuck.

Meanwhile, in a small, dark, Azkaban cell, Sirius Black was troubled thoughts. The Dementors created an atmosphere that made him remember every bad thing that had ever happened to him. He started to worry about his wife, his child, his life. He couldn't help but think about how his fellow Marauder had betrayed his best friends.

"I am innocent," Sirius told himself firmly. "Peter is to blame. I must get out…find…Peter…"

"For years, I watched you two grow to each other. Lily, I know that you didn't always like James, but you always loved him. I could tell from your eyes. Your emerald green eyes that will live on with your son. James, your messy hair, and I'm sure your skills and charm will rise in young Harry as well. You both loved each other very much, everyone knew that. You were very loved by others as well. I'm sure that your friends will be heartbroken when they hear the news. You two were wonderful parents, obviously, by the way Harry reacted to the situation. I'm positive that he will never forget you. You know, James, I knew you liked Lily from your first day at Hogwarts. I saw your jaw drop and your face light up in awe as she walked to the stool in front of the school. For the next seven years, I watched as you tried to use your Potters' charm to win her heart. Lily, I watched as you pushed him away for six years. After Christmas break, I saw your eyes open to him. You still acted as though nothing had changed, but your look on him was completely different. After you two didn't do anything to help move this along, I took things into my own hands.

"I set you up as the Head Boy and Head Girl. Lily, you were very deserving of this position. James, my boy, you were never a prefect. I had always hoped Mr. Lupin would help you and Sirius become less arrogant. I also hoped he would help you stop hexing Mr. Snape. Because Remus suit the position perfectly, I should have made him Head Boy. However, I made you Head Boy. Why? Well, Mr. Potter, I wanted you and Lily to learn to work together. I knew that, given time, you two would grow to love each other, and I was right. I could see through both of your acts that you were completely in love with each other. Falling in love at such a young age helped you both to become the wonderful people that you were. My plan worked to its full extent.

Time passed and I saw you both marry, and have young Harry. I feared for both of your lives, and Harry's. Tonight, when I found out that you were both gone from my life, I felt extremely broken down. I feel it is my duty to keep Harry safe. I can guarantee that he will go to Hogwarts when he turns 11 years old. I promise you, that he will be safe. I am placing him at his Aunt and Uncles' house, where he will be safe. As long as he can call it home, then he will be safe. A charm will be placed on the house, a charm that not even Voldemort, if he returns, will be able to break. It is because of you, Lily, that your son is alive right now. Because you died to save him, he will live on. You were both wonderful parents, great friends, great students, and amazing people. We will miss you very much, I know I will. Your son will live on in your memory, and I can assure you he will be taken care of. Be prepared, Lily and James, because your son will do great things. He already shows the magic in him, I could see it in his eyes, just like I saw the love that you two had when you were at Hogwarts. Watch over us all, Lily, James, because I know that we will all need it. Thank you for everything that you ever did for the wizarding world, your unselfishness was much needed and appreciated. You two were the most amazing witch and wizard that I had seen in a long time at Hogwarts. Thank you. I love you both very much, and I can assure you that I will love your son too. Goodbye, Lily, James. We will miss you."

With a flick of his wand, Lily and James disappeared from their floor by the stairs. They would be known to appear in the Auror graveyard. Dumbledore took one last look around the house, and disapparated to Privet Drive.


	40. Mixed Emotions

Word had spread very quickly of the Potters' deaths and Harry's miraculous escape from death, not to mention the fact that Voldemort was gone. Those who were close to Lily and James went directly to the Potter home, to sit in the living room and grieve. Those who didn't know the Potters' threw parties in happiness that their lives were safe once again.

Skye and Emily Black had no idea of their friends' deaths or of Sirius' arrest. Skye was pacing her home frantically, beginning to get very worried of where her husband was. She decided that the most likely place that he would be, would be at the Potters' house. She headed over there with Emily to find many people in the living room, crying.

"Ariel? What's going on? What's happened?" Skye rocked a sleeping Emily while putting on a terrified face. Ariel looked to her friend, hugged her, and whispered into her ear. She knew that this would be a hard blow for her friend, as she lost three very important people in her life.

"Skye, sweetie," Ariel started, tears still pouring down her face, "I think you should sit down."

Few people noticed that Skye had walked into the room. Those that did, however, looked even more scared. Everyone had heard about Sirius' arrest, and they knew this would kill Skye.

"Skye, Voldemort attacked James and Lily tonight. They-they didn't make it. That bastard also tried to kill Harry, but-but he couldn't. Harry lived…somehow. Word is that Sirius sold them out to Voldemort."

Skye blew up, holding Emily, who was now crying, closer. "WHAT? Sirius would NEVER sell them out! He didn't do it! He's innocent! Where are Lily and James' bodies? I have to see them! Where's my baby, where's Sirius!" Skye bawled more than anyone else there. Remus and Ariel hugged her, and tried to calm her down some. Remus tried this time.

"He's gone to Azkaban. A little while after Lily and James were found, Sirius was out walking the streets when he ran into Peter. He and Peter had a row, and Sirius ended up killing Peter with the Avada Kedavra spell. I don't believe he did any of this, even if those are the rumors. Sirius would never sell out James. He's been against his own family and their ways, which are like those of Voldemort's, ever since I can remember"

Skye looked up at Remus, clearly in much more pain than she let on.

"I can't take this. I've lost my husband, my best friend, and my best friend's husband. This is way to much for me to handle. Who's next, Emily?" She clutched her screaming daughter tighter, and cried on Ariel and Remus' shoulder. The next thing she knew, she was walking up to Sirius' cell in Azkaban, trying to figure out what had really happened.

"SIRIUS BLACK!" Skye said, clutching Emily in her arms and trying to hold back more tears, which didn't happen.

"Skye! Emily! I'm so glad you came." Emily turned away from her father, crying.

"What happened? You disappear for hours on end, leaving me clueless, only to find out later that three people who I love are gone from my life!"

"Hon, I'm so sorry. This whole thing is my fault. I never should have…"

Skye never let him finish. She assumed exactly what the rumors were. "So the rumors _are_ true? YOU SOLD OUT LILY AND JAMES TO VOLDEMORT! Sirius! How could you? I thought you were his best friend? How could you do this to them! They trusted you!"

"But, Skye, Emily, I didn't…Peter…"

"You killed Peter too! What did he do to you? NOTHING!"

"He ruined my life is what he did!"

"Oh really? He got mad at you for killing his best friends and you call that ruining your life? You're the one who killed them, Sirius! I can't take this…goodbye, Sirius. I never knew you could be so heartless!"

Skye stormed off with Emily as Sirius tried to yell back. The dementors were coming back for him, and he found his consciousness growing fainter. That visit would be the last time he saw Skye or Emily. They took off to a new land, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone. For the next twelve years, Sirius wallowed in pity, telling himself that he did nothing wrong. He wondered that if he had just been secret keeper, then his friends would still be alive. No one bothered to visit him in prison. He constantly got the _Daily Prophet_, so that he would know what was going on, but he didn't see any of his friends for the next twelve years. Life had never sunk so low for the once very happy Sirius Black.


	41. Privet Drive

Albus Dumbledore didn't seem to realize that he had just arrived in a street where everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome. He was busy rummaging in his cloak, looking for something. But he did seem to realize he was being watched, because he looked up suddenly at the cat, which was still staring at him from the other end of the street. For some reason, the sight of the cat seemed to amuse him. He chuckled and muttered, "I should have known."

He found what he was looking for in his inside pocket. It seemed to be a silver cigarette lighter. He flicked it open, held it up in the air, and clicked it. The nearest street lamp went out with a little pop. He clicked it again -- the next lamp flickered into darkness. Twelve times he clicked the Put-Outer, until the only lights left on the whole street were two tiny pinpricks in the distance, which were the eyes of the cat watching him. If anyone looked out of their window now, they wouldn't be able to see anything that was happening down on the pavement. Dumbledore slipped the Put-Outer back inside his cloak and set off down the street toward number four, where he sat down on the wall next to the cat. He didn't look at it, but after a moment he spoke to it.

"Fancy seeing you here, Professor McGonagall."

He turned to smile at the tabby, but it had gone. Instead he was smiling at a rather severe-looking woman who was wearing square glasses exactly the shape of the markings the cat had had around its eyes. Her black hair was drawn into a tight bun. She looked distinctly ruffled.

"How did you know it was me?" she asked.

"My dear Professor, I 've never seen a cat sit so stiffly."

"You'd be stiff if you'd been sitting on a brick wall all day," said Professor McGonagall.

"All day? When you could have been celebrating? I must have passed a dozen feasts and parties on my way here."

Professor McGonagall sniffed angrily. "Oh yes, everyone's celebrating, all right," she said impatiently. "You'd think they'd be a bit more careful, but no -- even the Muggles have noticed something's going on. It was on their news." She jerked her head back at the Dursleys' dark living-room window. "I heard it. Flocks of owls...shooting stars...Well, they're not completely stupid. They were bound to notice something. Shooting stars down in Kent -- I'll bet that was Dedalus Diggle. He never had much sense."

"You can't blame them," said Dumbledore gently. "We've had precious little to celebrate for eleven years."

"I know that," said Professor McGonagall irritably. "But that's no reason to lose our heads. People are being downright careless, out on the streets in broad daylight, not even dressed in Muggle clothes, swapping rumors."

She threw a sharp, sideways glance at Dumbledore here, as though hoping he was going to tell her something, but he didn't, so she went on. "A fine thing it would be if, on the very day You-Know-Who seems to have disappeared at last, the Muggles found out about us all. I suppose he really has gone, Dumbledore?"

"It certainly seems so," said Dumbledore. "We have much to be thankful for. Would you care for a lemon drop?"

"A what?"

"A lemon drop. They're a kind of Muggle sweet I'm rather fond of."

"No, thank you," said Professor McGonagall coldly, as though she didn't think this was the moment for lemon drops. "As I say, even if You-Know-Who has gone -"

"My dear Professor, surely a sensible person like yourself can call him by his name? All this 'You- Know-Who' nonsense -- for eleven years I have been trying to persuade people to call him by his proper name: Voldemort." Professor McGonagall flinched, but Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, seemed not to notice. "It all gets so confusing if we keep saying 'You-Know-Who.' I have never seen any reason to be frightened of saying Voldemort's name.

"I know you haven't, said Professor McGonagall, sounding half exasperated, half admiring. "But you're different. Everyone knows you're the only one You-Know- oh, all right, Voldemort, was frightened of."

"You flatter me," said Dumbledore calmly. "Voldemort had powers I will never have."

"Only because you're too -- well -- noble to use them."

"It's lucky it's dark. I haven't blushed so much since Madam Pomfrey told me she liked my new earmuffs."

Professor McGonagall shot a sharp look at Dumbledore and said, "The owls are nothing next to the rumors that are flying around. You know what everyone's saying? About why he's disappeared? About what finally stopped him?"

It seemed that Professor McGonagall had reached the point she was most anxious to discuss, the real reason she had been waiting on a cold, hard wall all day, for neither as a cat nor as a woman had she fixed Dumbledore with such a piercing stare as she did now. It was plain that whatever "everyone" was saying, she was not going to believe it until Dumbledore told her it was true. Dumbledore, however, was choosing another lemon drop and did not answer.

"What they're saying," she pressed on, "is that Voldemort turned up in Godric's Hollow. He went to find the Potters. The rumor is that Lily and James Potter are -- are -- that they're -- dead. "

Dumbledore bowed his head. Professor McGonagall gasped.

"Lily and James... I can't believe it...I didn't want to believe it...Oh, Albus..."

Dumbledore reached out and patted her on the shoulder. "I know... I know..." he said heavily.

Professor McGonagall's voice trembled as she went on. "That's not all. They're saying he tried to kill the Potter's son, Harry. But – he couldn't. He couldn't kill that little boy. No one knows why, or how, but they're saying that when he couldn't kill Harry Potter, Voldemort's power somehow broke -- and that's why he's gone.

Dumbledore nodded glumly.

"It's -- it's true?" faltered Professor McGonagall. "After all he's done... all the people he's killed... he couldn't kill a little boy? It's just astounding... of all the things to stop him... but how in the name of heaven did Harry survive?"

"We can only guess," said Dumbledore, unwilling to repeat his theory again. "We may never know."

Professor McGonagall pulled out a lace handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes beneath her spectacles. Dumbledore gave a great sniff as he took a golden watch from his pocket and examined it. It was a very odd watch. It had twelve hands but no numbers; instead, little planets were moving around the edge. It must have made sense to Dumbledore, though, because he put it back in his pocket and said, "Hagrid's late. I suppose it was he who told you I'd be here, by the way?"

"Yes," said Professor McGonagall. "And I don't suppose you're going to tell me why you're here, of all places?"

"I've come to bring Harry to his aunt and uncle. They're the only family he has left now."

"You don't mean -- you can't mean the people who live here?" cried Professor McGonagall, jumping to her feet and pointing at number four.

"Dumbledore -- you can't. I've been watching them all day. You couldn't find two people who are less like us. And they've got this son -- I saw him kicking his mother all the way up the street, screaming for sweets. Harry Potter come and live here!"

"It's the best place for him," said Dumbledore firmly. "His aunt and uncle will be able to explain everything to him when he's older. I've written them a letter."

"A letter?" repeated Professor McGonagall faintly, sitting back down on the wall. "Really, Dumbledore, you think you can explain all this in a letter? These people will never understand him! He'll be famous – a legend -- I wouldn't be surprised if today was known as Harry Potter day in the future -- there will be books written about Harry -- every child in our world will know his name!"

"Exactly," said Dumbledore, looking very seriously over the top of his half-moon glasses. "It would be enough to turn any boy's head. Famous before he can walk and talk! Famous for something he won't even remember! Can't you see how much better off he'll be, growing up away from all that until he's ready to take it?"

Professor McGonagall opened her mouth, changed her mind, swallowed, and then said, "Yes -- yes, you're right, of course. But how is the boy getting here, Dumbledore?" She eyed his cloak suddenly as though she thought he might be hiding Harry underneath it.

"Hagrid's bringing him."

"You think it -- wise -- to trust Hagrid with something as important as this?"

I would trust Hagrid with my life," said Dumbledore.

"I'm not saying his heart isn't in the right place," said Professor McGonagall grudgingly, "but you can't pretend he's not careless. He does tend to -- what was that?"

A low rumbling sound had broken the silence around them. It grew steadily louder as they looked up and down the street for some sign of a headlight; it swelled to a roar as they both looked up at the sky – and a huge motorcycle fell out of the air and landed on the road in front of them.

If the motorcycle was huge, it was nothing to the man sitting astride it. He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild – long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins. In his vast, muscular arms he was holding a bundle of blankets.

"Hagrid," said Dumbledore, sounding relieved. "At last."

"Hagrid, dear, where did you get that motorcycle?" Professor McGonagall looked astounded that such a large person could even sit on the bike without crushing it.

"Borrowed it," said the giant, climbing carefully off the motorcycle as he spoke. "Young Sirius Black lent it to me. I've got him, sir."

"No problems, were there?"

"No, sir -- house was almost destroyed, but I got him out all right before the Muggles started swarmin' around. He fell asleep just as we was flyin' over Bristol."

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall bent forward over the bundle of blankets. Inside, just visible, was a baby boy, fast asleep. Under a tuft of jet-black hair over his forehead they could see a curiously shaped cut, like a bolt of lightning.

"Is that where -?" whispered Professor McGonagall.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "He'll have that scar forever."

"Couldn't you do something about it, Dumbledore?"

"Even if I could, I wouldn't. Scars can come in handy. I have one myself above my left knee that is a perfect map of the London Underground. Well -- give him here, Hagrid -- we'd better get this over with." Dumbledore took Harry in his arms and turned toward the Dursleys' house.

"Could I -- could I say good-bye to him, sir?" asked Hagrid. He bent his great, shaggy head over Harry and gave him what must have been a very scratchy, whiskery kiss. Then, suddenly, Hagrid let out a howl like a wounded dog.

"Shhh!" hissed Professor McGonagall, "you'll wake the Muggles!"

"S-s-sorry," sobbed Hagrid, taking out a large, spotted handkerchief and burying his face in it. "But I c-c-can't stand it -- Lily an' James dead -- an' poor little Harry off ter live with Muggles -"

"Yes, yes, it's all very sad, but get a grip on yourself, Hagrid, or we'll be found," Professor McGonagall whispered, patting Hagrid gingerly on the arm as Dumbledore stepped over the low garden wall and walked to the front door. He laid Harry gently on the doorstep, took a letter out of his cloak, tucked it inside Harry's blankets, and then came back to the other two. For a full minute the three of them stood and looked at the little bundle; Hagrid's shoulders shook, Professor McGonagall blinked furiously, and the twinkling light that usually shone from Dumbledore's eyes seemed to have gone out.

"Well," said Dumbledore finally, "that's that. We've no business staying here. We may as well go and join the celebrations."

"Yeah," said Hagrid in a very muffled voice, "I'll be takin' Sirius his bike back. G'night, Professor McGonagall -- Professor Dumbledore, sir."

Wiping his streaming eyes on his jacket sleeve, Hagrid swung himself onto the motorcycle and kicked the engine into life; with a roar it rose into the air and off into the night.

"I shall see you soon, I expect, Professor McGonagall," said Dumbledore, nodding to her. Professor McGonagall blew her nose in reply.

Dumbledore turned and walked back down the street. On the corner he stopped and took out the silver Put-Outer. He clicked it once, and twelve balls of light sped back to their street lamps so that Privet Drive glowed suddenly orange and he could make out a tabby cat slinking around the corner at the other end of the street. He could just see the bundle of blankets on the step of number four.

"Good luck, Harry," he murmured. He turned on his heel and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under the inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen. Harry Potter rolled over inside his blankets without waking up. One small hand closed on the letter beside him and he slept on, not knowing he was special, not knowing he was famous, not knowing he would be woken in a few hours' time by Mrs. Dursley's scream as she opened the front door to put out the milk bottles, nor that he would spend the next few weeks being prodded and pinched by his cousin Dudley... He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: "To Harry Potter -- the boy who lived!"


	42. Final Meeting

"I have called this final meeting to just explain to you all the story of what happened the night of the Potters' deaths," Dumbledore began to explain to his fellow Order members. He told them the story of what happened, where Harry had been taken, etc. He assured them that Voldemort, for the time being, was gone, but there was a good chance that he would be back later.

"I encourage you to still keep you eyes peeled for any activity that may occur in recent times. Just because Voldemort is gone, does not mean that his followers are gone, and many will still be at large. They will fear that if they do not carry on in their master's wishes, that something awful will happen to them. Please be very cautious of these people.

"Recently, we have caught many more death eaters. Some have given names, and allowed us to imprison more and more guilty people who do not deserve to be out in our world. Sirius Black has been put in jail for killing Peter Pettigrew, and for using magic in front of muggles, and even killing a very large group of muggles. He is also known to have sold out Lily and James to Voldemort, like I said earlier. Bellatrix Lestrange, Sirius' cousin, was recently placed in Azkaban as well. This is very good news my friends. She has committed a crime that has very badly hurt our Order. She used the Cruciatus curse to torture Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity."

There were gasps all over the room, and many tears.

"They are, however alive. They will stay in St. Mungo's for the rest of their lives, unless they show dramatic improvement."

"What about their son, Neville?" Remus asked quietly.

Dumbledore looked to the very depressed Remus Lupin, and answered him. "He has been sent to live with his grandmother."

Albus Dumbledore couldn't help but notice the pain that Remus was going through. He had now lost so many people in his life, that he didn't know how he was ever going to go on. The Marauders and the Divines were completely broken up. Lily, James, Emily, and Peter were dead. Skye had fled, and Sirius was in Azkaban. Luckily, Remus still had Ariel, right?

The meeting was over. Dumbledore knew that he would have to tell Remus sooner or later. He walked over to the young man who was sitting with his hands in his face.

"Remus, I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Remus looked up, afraid of what he was about to hear. Dumbledore pulled an envelope out of his pocket to which read, "Remus," on the front. Remus took it, opened it up, and read.

_Remus –_

_For many years I waited for you to come to me. I had always liked you a whole lot in school, and was so happy when you finally came to be with me. We married, and I couldn't have been happier. You made me so happy, and having our friends there made life perfect. When the attacks started happening more and more often, and you were at work all of the time, I started to worry. I feared for your life and our friends' lives. Now, I realize that everyone is gone…even you are gone. You are always at work and I feel so alone. I love you so much, Remus, but I find that life without friends and you is just too much to bear. Don't feel like this is your fault. I had to do it. Even if you had been there, I still would have had to take this drastic measure. I miss our friends, and now I can be with them. I can't wait to see you again. I love you, Remus. I'll never forget you. Don't worry about me, I'll watch over you and protect you. Please, stay safe. I love you so much._

_Love, Ariel_

Remus expected the worst when he lifted his head up. He was already crying. "How did she do it?" he asked, quietly, choking on his own words.

"She took her own potions," Dumbledore said simply.

"I've lost everyone now," Remus started. "Emily, James, Lily, Peter, and Ariel are dead. Sirius is in Azkaban, Skye fled the country, and now the Longbottoms are insane. What am I supposed to do, Dumbledore? Sit here and take losing everyone in my life that means something?"

He felt so helpless. What was he to do now that everyone was gone.

"You have to live Remus. You have to be the one mentor young Harry will have when he is older. He needs a good man to look up to, as I'm sure his uncle won't be that man. Please, stay strong, and just wait a little while."

Remus, for the first time in so long, smiled slightly. "Albus Dumbledore, you are perhaps the most amazing man I've ever met. You are right, as always. I will hold on…for Harry. James always wanted one of us to be there if he couldn't. He chose Sirius, but as Sirius can't be there, and Peter's dead, I'm the only one left, other than you. "

"You just have to keep holding on, Remus," Dumbledore said softly. "Don't worry, things will get better. You will make new friends, you will achieve great dreams. I'm sure that Voldemort will be back within the next 20 or so years, and we could really use a head start. I would like it if you would be an Auror trainer. We could really use the best out there for the next time. You are an amazing wizard, Remus. Don't let your hidden secret tell you otherwise. I promise you that you will not be discriminated against if the secret ever gets out. You are not only a great wizard, but you are a great friend, loyal and true, and an even more amazing person. Lily and James would be so proud of you. _Ariel would be proud too_," he added as an afterthought.

Remus let one final tear run down his pink cheeks as the old man embraced him in a massive hug. "All will be fine, Remus, you'll see. Everything has changed, yes, but you will be okay. Don't lose faith in yourself."

Remus took a look at his friend and mentor, and knew that his words were true. He left the meeting room, and headed back out into the world, feeling confident and in control. He went off to work, ready to take on the world at a whole new angle. Life had been pretty rough these past few years, but he would pull through. In the end, it's always good that prevails over evil. Remus looked back up to the meeting room from the sidewalk below, and began the rest of his life. He thought back to little Harry, and started to look forward to the day when he would see the mere image of his two best friends again. He smiled, and walked away from the past, and into a brighter future.


End file.
